Whistle For The Choir
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: Theo always wondered why his mother had him betrothed to Daphne Greengrass before she died, but he's sure that she must have had a good reason. An exploration of Daphne and Theo's relationship from children to adults, while they try to work through a betrothal that neither one of them wanted. Can they find love with each other?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This chapter is really quite melancholy and sad, but I hope that you will enjoy the journey that I take Daphne and Theo on over the next fifteen chapters as they grow into adulthood. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter one and be on the lookout for chapter two next week.

* * *

Theodore Alfred Nott did not have many happy memories.

But, all of the happy memories that he did have involved his mother.

The product of a very unhappy marriage, Theo had no illusions that his birth improved relations between his parents, and if anything, only caused more strife. It couldn't be described as anything other than a political marriage, really.

His father, Alfred Nott, spent most of his time being a bigoted arse in the Wizengamot, trying to keep the flame alive that the Dark Lord had started, unwilling or unable to hide where his true loyalties lied like Lucius Malfoy had. Alfred was one of the Dark Lord's first followers, seeing as they'd been contemporaries at school. His mother, Cora Nott, nee Rosier, had been significantly younger than her husband, by several decades. She was everything a good pureblood girl should be - beautiful, witty, charming, and knew to keep her opinions to herself.

Their marriage was one of much gossip, seeing as it was rumored that Cora's father had been forced to give up his daughter by the Dark Lord himself, determined not to see one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families die out with his old _friend_ Alfred. The couple was never seen out in public together, and Cora frequently would cry to her mother about how unhappy she was, and how terribly mean Alfred was, but her mother offered no other advice than to do her duty and provide Alfred with an heir. Then, she could withdraw from spending as much time with him.

Alfred was glad to learn that his family's line was ensured when he learned that Cora was expecting, and he'd been even more thrilled when the child was boy. In a rare moment of indulgence, he'd allowed Cora to select a name for their heir, and after that, he'd left most of the raising to Cora, except for daily lessons, starting once Theo had turned five.

Theo had inherited her toffee colored hair, but took after his father in all other physical characteristics. Sometimes he hated that he didn't have more of her in him, because when she was finally gone, the soft green of her eyes died with her, and he was left with his father's hateful blue eyes reflecting back at him in the mirror.

Despite looking rather like a miniature of the man who terrorized Cora's life at every turn, Theo had no doubt that his mother had always _adored_ him. Even though Alfred filled her life with misery, she never resented Theo for their resemblance, instead determined to give Theo as loving and fun-filled childhood as he could possibly have with Alfred for a father. She was always aware of the need to counterbalance everything that Alfred did.

For the most part, mother and child were left to their own devices, his father perhaps too apathetic to think about his wife or only child until he had a use for them. It was in those halcyon days that Theo created his happiest memories of his mother, of his childhood, of his life.

They would spend hours walking around the grounds of Nott Manor, his mother being sure to point out all kinds of flora that they passed. Theo loved to look at and smell flowers, though his father often commented that it wasn't an appropriate subject for a _boy_. Still, his mother persisted, knowing that it was something Theo enjoyed. If he closed his eyes, he was sure he could still hear her gentle voice pointing out thistle or hawthorn or laurel, the wind buzzing in his ears, while they tramped around the Nott grounds.

When it was too cold outside, or if the weather just wouldn't cooperate, Theo and his mother would retreat to the rarely visited kitchen, to do something that Cora enjoyed. His mother had been a brilliant baker, both via magical means and by hand. Theo would only later realize how unusual this was, but at the time, seeing his mum measure out ingredients and hand mix dough seemed as natural to him as the sun rising in the sky.

Theo loved making biscuits most of all, as his mum would often let him mix up the dough all by himself, giving him gentle corrections. She would giggle seeing him playing with his sticky fingers, getting the mix all over his little face, and she would never scold him for eating some of the sweet substance. He liked it most of all when he would catch _her_ dipping a finger in the dough, to give it a taste herself.

Though, like most things in Theo's life, all good things had to come to an end, and it seemed that his father was typically the harbinger. Theo had been so terrified when his father had finally intruded on their little hideaway, sending a blasting charm at the mixing bowl, chocolate mix and bits of glass going every which way. Theo had burst into tears, frightened of the loud noise, and the terrifying look on his father's face.

"Stop crying," his father had demanded of his four year old son, before rounding on his pretty, young wife. "How _dare_ you teach _my_ heir something so muggle? I will not stand for him being taught such filth, something befitting little more than a house elf," he'd seethed. Alfred Nott never raised his voice, but his calm and detached manner was almost more terrifying.

Perhaps not knowing how much it would anger his father, Theo had turned his face into his mother's leg, hiding his tears from view, unable to stop crying while they were _shouting_. His mother had wound her fingers into his hair, comfortingly, and Theo trusted her to protect him from his father.

"He likes it!" his mother had argued. "And I enjoy it as well. Theo is just as much my son as he is yours, and you won't tell me how to raise him."

"It's no wonder that your father had to settle for an old man for your husband," Alfred had seethed, his eyes narrowing. "Even I wouldn't have taken him up on his offer if he'd told me that you were a _muggle lover_." Turning to face a still sniffling Theo, he shook his head. "Cooking is women's work, and I will not have you further _feminizing_ my son. Theo, stop crying, and go to your room," his father ordered, talking about subjects that he just didn't understand at the time, but that infuriated him when he thought back over the memories.

Not wanting to face whatever creative punishment that his father was sure to come up with, Theo nodded, practically running from the room, and the loud voices of his parents still fighting. He'd push his face into his pillow and wish that he was brave enough to stand up for his mother, same as she stood up for him. He hated when they fought, knowing how sullen his mother would grow in the days after, but he hated it more when the room grew silent, knowing that one of them had put up a silencing charm on the room, preventing him from hearing what was really happening.

Or, more accurately, what his father was doing to his mum.

…

Theo had always been so excited when he got to go on trips with his mother to France to visit his maternal great-grandmother. At the very least, it meant time away from Nott Manor, and thus Alfred Nott, seeing as his father would never deign to spending time with Cora's family. Being free from her husband, it was as if his mum was a new person, a weight lifted off of her delicate shoulders. She could laugh more freely, and Theo was positive that he had the prettiest mum in the world. It only made him wonder later just why she was with an angry old man like his father to begin with.

He could still remember the time that they went to France for his mother's birthday. As long as he could remember, his mum had always loved crups, and his great-grandmother's dog had just given birth to a litter of puppies. "Grand-maman says that we may select one puppy to take home and live with us, Theo," his mother said quietly, while they watched the puppies crawl all over one another in an effort to get to the food dish.

It didn't take him long to identify the one crup that seemed to be a bit of a loner within the litter. Always pushed to the edges by his littermates, the littlest pup seemed to be perfectly happy all on his own. Though he didn't see it that way at the time, Theo would later come to realize that he'd seen a kindred spirit in the crup. His mum had lifted his chosen crup out of the pen that they were playing in, and set the dog in Theo's lap.

The crup looked up at Theo with huge black eyes and from first sight, Theo knew that it was love. He pet the little pup's brown and white fur, watching as it waggled its forked tail back and forth in excitement at the new human that was handling. The crup was so excited that it jumped, covering Theo's face with licks and kisses. He'd fallen onto his back in a fit of giggles, and the puppy was only too happy to continue his love attack.

His mum's laughter joined in, before she was picking up the little puppy by his middle, rescuing her son from the overly enthusiastic beast. "I think he's perfect, don't you love?" she asked.

Theo had resolutely agreed, telling his mum that it was the only puppy that he wanted. The pair of them thought a long time about what they might like the name the dog, but finally, Theo had dubbed him Boots, on account of the way his paws looked as though they were covered by white boots. His mum had pushed back his hair, and pressed a kiss to his temple. "It suits him, love," she said, as if Theo was the most brilliant little boy for coming up with it.

There had been some commotion when they brought the crup home to Nott Manor, as Alfred was clearly unhappy with having such an unruly little pet having free reign of the Manor. Theo had hugged the puppy close, while he listened to his parents argue, but eventually his mum won the older man over with a promise that the crup would teach Theo responsibility. He was warned that if he didn't take care of Boots, the crup would be _gotten rid of_.

Even at age six, Theo had no illusions that that meant Boots would be given away to someone else.

With his mum's assistance, Theo had done everything he could to take good care of Boots. He loved to give the puppy baths, which the puppy seemed to love as well. They would play with the bubbles in the tub until Boots was cleaned, and his mum would _always_ end up having to scourgify the bathroom when the crup would shake the water from his fur. Afterwards, Theo and Boots would always get to snuggle up together on a couch, warm and cozy.

His mum would show him how to feed the dog two times a day, and she never got upset if he forgot, instead gently reminding him that Boots needed food to grow big and strong, just as Theo needed to. They would go on long walks together, all over the grounds, and his mum always made sure that Theo knew to pick up after the dog. Occasionally, they would make efforts to train the little crup too, but he was much too willful to learn more than just the basic commands.

His memories of Boots were not so much dominated by the joy that the crup brought him, but more with catching the indulgent looks and smiles of his mum. There was the time that he and Boots had dug up the rose bushes, and ended up entirely covered in mud. He'd been expecting her to scold him for getting so messy, but instead, he caught her with her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back a laugh, but failing miserably. The thought of her, mirth sparkling in her eyes, still gave him a warm feeling in his chest, even though she'd been gone for many years.

…

It wasn't as if Theo spent all of his time mum.

Of course, he spent at least one hour each day revising with his father every day, a time that he grew to resent. He loved learning new things, but his father was so very strict, and was very harsh if he got something wrong. "Your mother has made you simple, focusing on muggle culture and that _filthy_ crup," Alfred would sneer, his mustache bristling. "My heir will not be reduced to a simple crup trainer."

"I like Boots," Theo would say cautiously. "But I enjoy arithmancy more, father." It was true that Theo did like learning about arithmancy, finding comfort in the numbers, and puzzling out all the answers, it didn't hurt that it was also one of his father's chosen area of study. He knew in the long run the admission would only earn him a brief respite from his father's disappointment.

Theo was a very apt pupil, finding that he didn't enjoy being berated when he got something incorrect, so he rarely did. He already knew that he was paces ahead of Draco, who was so spoiled by his parents, that he frequently missed lessons with his tutor. He did not miss the subtle hints from his father, though, that he would be expected to get good marks at Hogwarts. There was no 'or else'.

In addition to his studies, he would also spend time with his best friend, Draco Malfoy. Draco's father was friends with Theo's father, so it stood to reason that they would spend time together, but common interests built a stronger bond between the young boys. Draco and Theo were both firm fans of the Puddlemere United Quidditch squad. Mr. Malfoy took them to several matches per year, and they loved running around their private box, stuffing themselves with pumpkin juice and pumpkin pasties, cheering on their favorites players - Theo's was a chaser by the name of Eric O'Doyle, whilst Draco's was a strapping beater called Damien Davies.

When they weren't watching Quidditch, they would fly around the grounds of either Malfoy or Nott Manor on their practice brooms, passing a quaffle back and forth, or trying to figure out how to subvert the childproofing charms that wouldn't let them fly more than five feet of the ground. Occasionally, they would play dragons and knights, but now that they were a bit older they didn't fancy it as much anymore. After all, six years old was far too old to be playing a kiddie game like dragons and knights.

Theo did have fun playing with Draco, but his blond friend was not the one who starred in his fondest childhood memories. Looking back, instead of remembering the time that Puddlemere had finished third in the league, he would remember the few hot summer days with his mum, learning to ride a horse, his mum walking patiently next to his side while he gained confidence. Or hazy afternoons lying out beside the pond on the very edge of the pond.

If he tried really hard, he could remember the time that his mum and him had gone swimming in that pond, bathing suits hastily transfigured from their clothes. Theo could still remember the way that his heart soared when his mum showed him how to splash, making huge waves of water with her outstretched fingers. She was normally so perfect, never a hair out of place, but in that moment, she was free with him, free to play around.

As usual, when they returned to the manor, laughing and hair still dripping wet, his father had blown a gasket. Theo was sent to his room, and given a bath by an extremely pushy house elf. And all the while, his father had forgotten his carefully placed silencing charms, and he could hear his father shouting at his mum for letting Theo roam around the grounds like a heathen. Theo never understood the link that swimming was somehow involved with muggles, but he quickly learned that anything involving muggles meant that his father would lash out. It was enough to make him withdraw from some of the activities that he loved, if only it would mean that his mum wouldn't get hurt.

He still remembered the sound of her crying, pleading with his father, that Theo was just a boy and that he deserved to have fun.

The next time that she asked him to make biscuits, Theo declined, saying that he'd rather go practice flying his broom. Her perfect eyebrows had bunched together, and even though she tried to mask it, it was clear to Theo that he'd hurt her, even though he was only trying to keep her out of trouble with his father.

...

Theo must have been around seven years old when his mum made a decision that would change his life irrevocably. He'd often looked back and wondered what had pushed her to do it, but he never felt like he had a good understanding of her decision. He knew that his mum only ever wanted what was best for him, but he wondered if she knew how it was going to affect his life.

As long as he could remember, his mum had been very close with Ella Greengrass, a woman who was just as pretty as his mum. They took after each other in coloring, and some would have said that they could have passed as sisters, though Ella was always a bit more blonde. Honestly, with the way that pureblood families were so tangled and mixed up, he couldn't be positive that they weren't related.

Theo like Ella alright, who always had butterscotch candies to give him, but whenever his mum would spend time with her, it meant that he was required to spend time with Ella's two bratty daughters.

Daphne Greengrass was a miniature of her mum, with golden blonde hair and green eyes, not yet a picture of pureblood beauty as she was still too gangly and her teeth hadn't fully grown in yet. She never had a hair out of place of the twin plaits she wore down the back of her head. Daphne was a few months younger than him and would be in his year at Hogwarts, but was always taller than him while they were children, a fact that she was fond of reminding him of.

Astoria, Daphne's younger sister, was the opposite of Daphne, with her dark wavy hair that seemed to be perpetually tangled, and bright blue eyes that his mum always said boys would swoon over when they got older... _whatever_ that meant. Astoria was two years younger than Daphne and Theo, and she was a needy little thing, always trailing her sister around.

Theo hated playing with the Greengrass sisters. Unlike Draco, they never wanted to play dragons and knights, instead preferring to hold tea parties, even though their cups didn't even hold any tea. Daphne would hold her nose up at him and sniff continuously about how _boys_ never had any manners, which always offended Theo mightily. His mother always said she appreciated how exceptionally well mannered he was, so he knew that she couldn't be right.

He gave up on arguing with Daphne pretty much immediately, knowing that she didn't seem to care for his opinions on matters. So, when he was forced to play with the Greengrass sisters while his mother and her friend would hide their faces behind teacups, talking quietly about _Merlin knew what_ , he would sit quietly, cowed into doing whatever the pair wanted.

At least Astoria could be counted on to bring him a little laughter. She was prone to bouts of accidental magic, and her outbursts always seemed to be focused at her older sister. Theo sometimes still dreamed of the time that Astoria had turned Daphne's long blonde hair bright green, and he hadn't been able to hold back his laughter.

Daphne had cried, of course, and ran back to her mother who was able to fix the effect with just a simple wave of her wand. But, Daphne never had forgiven him for laughing, turning and looking at him with such fury. "I hate you, Theo Nott!" she'd shouted, anger shaking her little body. "And I will _never_ be friends with you," she vowed.

So, he was surprised of course, when his mother would talk to him about how close he and Daphne would be as they got older. "Of course, the two of you make such a handsome couple," she said with a grin, one evening after Ella had taken her brats home. "You look so sweet together. Even Ella agrees."

Theo had protested, telling her that he thought Daphne had eyes like a toad, and hair like hay, and he hated her nose always held up in the air.

His mother had just laughed. "You might think that _now_ of course, but you wait in a few years, you won't be able to keep your eyes off of her," his mum promised him, giving him a look over her drink. "You'll imagine that you've always liked her."

As he shook his head, so insistent that he would not _ever_ grow to like Daphne Greengrass, Theo watched as his mother's eyes softened. She gave him a cryptic look that he still didn't understand to this day - the memory so burned into his memory - before she sighed. "I only want you to be happy, Theo," she'd told him, in a rare moment of unconcealed concern. "I want more for your life than...what your father and I have. Do you understand?" she asked.

Theo _hadn't_ understood, but he so desperately wanted to reassure his mother that he'd nodded his head in agreement. If there was one thing that he was certain of, it was that he didn't want to end up anything like his father.

...

His mother's funeral was the worst day of his life.

Looking back, it was even worse than the long year at Hogwarts with the Death Eaters in charge, or the final battle, or the day that Dumbledore died. It was even worse than the day that she died. Every moment that he was forced to stand next to his father in his formal dress robes, his face stoic and measured, it felt as if he was disgracing her memory.

He could not cry, because of course, his father would never allow him to cry in front of other people, but inside, his heart was broken. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to never explore the grounds without her again or never eat her biscuits again. How was he meant to go off to Hogwarts in just a few short years if his mother wasn't there to send him off on the train? Who would help break up the misery of existence that his father imposed on him?

He hated how his father could stand there, accepting condolences for the loss of his wife, when he was responsible for her death.

Theo couldn't recall what the argument was about, in particular, but he did remember that it seemed trivial in response to his father's rage. His father had shouted at his mother, until she cowered in fear on the settee, and his father still menaced forward, until his hands were wrapped around his mother's neck.

Even though he was just a child, he'd tried to stop his father, pleading with fat tears in his eyes, for his father to just let her go - couldn't he see the terrified look in his mum's eyes, wild and surprised, his fingers clawing into the skin of his hands? All Theo had gotten for his trouble was a swift backhand and a bloody lip. His mother had still died all the same, and Theo had to live with the knowledge that his father was unequivocally a _monster_.

After the funeral was completed, Theo had wanted nothing more than to hide away in his room, like he'd done since his mother died, and curl up in bed with Boots, his faithful crup. He wondered if the heartache that he felt could ever possibly go away, or if it was something that he was destined to live with for the end of his life.

However, reprieve did not come easily, which his father pressing his withered hands to his young heir's shoulders, guiding him to his father's study. He poured himself a sturdy glass of firewhiskey before adding a splash into another heavy tumbler for Theo. Theo had taken a small sip, his feet dangling off the edge of the couch, and _tried_ not to make a face at the burn in his throat.

His father had laughed at him, one of the first times that Theo had seen the man express _any_ form of mirth, only to scowl when he saw the reproachful look Theo gave him. "Don't look at me like that, boy," his father scolded swiftly. "You'll thank me for it one day."

Theo wasn't sure if he was referencing the firewhiskey or his mum, but he doubted that he could ever find it in his heart to feel _anything_ but hatred for the older man.

Taking a long drink, his father pressed the crystal glass to his head, his eyes going to someplace else while the fire crackled away in the hearth. "I'll admit, your mother did at least _one_ good thing in her sorry life, besides giving me you," he said, spitefully. When Theo did not take the bait to ask him what it was, his father prodded him. "Aren't you going to ask me what it was, boy?"

"What was the one good thing my mother did?" Theo asked, his voice sounding impossibly small and sullen. He wanted to shout at his father and tell him all the _amazing_ things that his mother was capable of, and had showed him, but he knew that it wasn't wise to purposely antagonize the man.

"She arranged a betrothal for you," his father answered, a smile on his face. "Would you like to know who your future bride is?"

Theo was stunned to hear that his mother would have done something like that, when he knew how desperately unhappy she'd been in her own arranged marriage. He was hurt that she would have done something like that without discussing it with him first. "Who am I to marry, father?" he asked, feeling a lump form in his throat.

"Someday, once you've both left your schooling, you will marry Daphne Greengrass," his father said, delighting in the look on his heir's face. "Your mother might have been a _muggle lover_ , but at least she knew the right sort of stock to choose from. The Greengrasses are just as pure as us, and that's not something many families can boast of. I'm sure Abraxas Malfoy is already furious to know that we've gotten one of the them already."

Theo didn't particularly _care_ what the Malfoys thought. He knew that he didn't want to marry Daphne Greengrass, the annoying girl with the twin plaits. In his mind, he could think of nothing but her promise that she would never be friends with him. Had his mother doomed him to a marriage that would be as utterly unhappy as his parents had been?

At least he knew that he would _never_ treat Daphne like his father treated his mother.

With a shudder, Theo stood up from the couch. "May I be excused, father?" he asked, worried that he was about to break down and cry right there in front of him.

More concerned with his whiskey than his child, his father waved him away. Theo retreated to his bedroom, hating the tears that rolled down his cheeks the whole way. When he got back to his room, he let himself cry as hard as he needed, the whole time wondered just what his mother had been thinking. He wished then more than ever that she was there to comfort him, to explain.

He remembered her promises that he and Daphne made a handsome couple and he wondered if she was able to see something that he hadn't. She'd been insistent that their feelings would change as he grew older. Was that possible?

His father had said that he wasn't to marry Daphne until they both completed their schooling, so he supposed that it was many years before that day would come. After all, he was still years off from even _starting_ at Hogwarts, let alone graduating. They had time to change and grow.

Staring out his window, Theo decided then that he would just have to show Daphne that he wasn't a rotten little boy any longer. He'd show her that he could be a good husband, being a dutiful betrothed. He'd give her gifts and escort her to dances and he'd be perfect and he'd make his mother proud, even if she wasn't there to see it. Over time, he was sure that Daphne would recognize the changes he'd made, and then maybe she would take back her words - that she _hated_ him. They had time to figure things out together.

Afterall, if his mother thought that the relationship would work, there must be some reason for it. He just needed to find it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I so cherish them, especially since this story is very different from what I usually write. Poor Theo is really going through it, but it will get better. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates, and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter two and be on the lookout for chapter three soon!

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Theo was looking forward to going to Hogwarts more than anything in a long while. It wasn't so much his eagerness to go to the magical school he'd known he'd attend since he was a little boy, but more so his desire to get away from his father, if only for a few months.

In the years since his mother had died, there had been no reprieve for Theo in the drafty old house that he lived in. Of course he had Boots and the house elves to spend his time with, but he found himself retreating more and more to his room and to the library. Anything to escape the notice of his father, who'd only become a more demanding task master as he'd grown older, not wanting his only child to be a magical disappointment.

Playdates with Draco Malfoy had withered away into nothing and Theo was faced with the possibility that frequent trips to watch Quidditch had been more at his mother's arrangement rather than Draco requesting his friend come with. It stung.

There was simultaneously more and less reason for Ella Greengrass to set up times for Theo to meet with her daughter, but they never came. Any desire for her daughter to get to know the boy that she was destined to marry when she was old enough did not outweigh the lack of a friend to visit after Cora Nott was dead. However, Ella did send him owls several times a year, with little pieces of toffee, which were his mother's favorite. Each one only left him feeling a bit hollow and raw.

His father dutifully took him to Diagon Alley one autumn afternoon, to make sure his boy was well-appointed before the Hogwarts term would begin the following September. Theo had mostly been thrilled to go to Ollivander's. By the time his eleventh birthday rolled around in October, Theo had been aching for a chance to go get his own wand. He was secretly pleased to learn from the old wandmaker that his wand was similar in pliancy and core to his mother's. His father _must_ have seen the proud look on Theo's face, because he made a comment about not tolerating the same weakness in him that his mother was prone to.

After that, he'd spent the rest of the months holed up in his bedroom, sitting in the window seat and drinking in all the words in the books of his textbooks, pulled away to a world where his father didn't exist. He was determined to get excellent marks at school, not wanting to do anything that would upset or embarrass his father, if only because it meant that he wouldn't get in trouble.

When the day finally came to head off to Hogwarts, Theo was barely able to contain his excitement at going away to school. His father did not share his enthusiasm, and instead scowled at him, giving him commands the whole way to Platform 9 and 3/4. "You will not make a fool of yourself, Theodore," he instructed. "Get into Slytherin and remain at the top of the class, and we should have no troubles."

"I wouldn't want to be in any house but Slytherin, father," he lied. _As if there was any other choice_. Even if he didn't want to be seen as following in his father's footsteps, he knew that his mother had been in Slytherin, too, and the idea of sharing another thing with her was too intoxicating to pass up.

His father had sniffed, but didn't indicate if he believed Theo. "And, now is a good time to get to know your betrothed. She may not realize it _yet_ , but her actions also reflect on our family. Make sure that you remind her of that if you need to," he instructed, showing off a menacing grin. Theo privately wondered if his father was remembering all the times that he'd correct his mother's behavior. "You should escort her on the train."

"Of course, father," Theo agreed. "I will see you at Yule," he bid farewell, not wanting to spend any more time with his father than was necessary.

Never one for affection, his father gave him a nod, before apparating him back home. He had not reason to watch his only child's train leave for his first year at a new school. Theo wasn't bothered by it.

Knowing that it had been _many_ years since he'd seen Daphne Greengrass, he decided to seek her out. They had never been friends, but Theo thought that it was a good idea to show her that he was committed to leaving childhood squabbles behind. He'd been alone _and_ lonely for so long now, he knew that it would be nice to have someone else with whom he could commiserate with. Neither one of them had asked for his betrothal, but he was determined to make the most of it.

He found Daphne on the train easily enough in a compartment with three other giggling girls. They all stared at him when he cautiously entered their sanctuary. "Hello Daphne," he said, nervousness making him stumble over the words.

Daphne still wore twin plaits in her blonde hair, but they only seemed to have grown longer over the years. When she returned his gaze with those green eyes, he realized that they _weren't_ toad green, as he'd once complained to his mother, but rather a quite pretty and unusual shade. "Nott," she said in response, sticking her nose up in the air once more, her voice as haughty as he remembered.

His stomach dropped at the icy reception he got.

One of the other girls - a girl with short dark hair and a squashed nose - crossed her arms over her chest before giving him a vicious little smirk. Looking him up and down, she made no secret that he was unwelcome. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your _friend_ , Daphne?" the girl asked.

"It's _just_ Theo, Pansy," Daphne said, her cheeks turning red.

Theo felt his stomach drop and his cheeks redden as well when she said he was _just_ Theo. He wasn't certain why, but being written off so casually was hurtful. "May I-may I sit with you? Father said I should escort you to Hogwarts," Theo stammered out, wanting to do the write thing.

The four girls dissolved into tittereing laughter at his question. "Merlin, Nott!" the girl called Pansy said with a sneer. "What is it, the Dark Ages? Daphne doesn't need to be escorted, least of all by a stringy boy like _you_."

He wasn't sure how he should respond, feeling his cheeks heat up even more at being dismissed by nothing more than a little girl. He tried to make eye contact with Daphne, but she studiously ignored him, keeping her eyes firmly on her lap.

Deciding that he didn't need to be treated that way, Theo turned and left their compartment behind without another word. He'd tried his best to do what his father had wanted and turned up empty handed. Obviously, Daphne hadn't shared their particular circumstances with anyone, same as he hadn't. He wouldn't begrudge her that, especially considering that those kind of arrangements had fallen out of fashion over the years. He was hurt to learn that she had seemingly no interest in trying to work through things together, but he wouldn't give up after one try.

Instead, he went in search of Draco, knowing that he'd find his old friend somewhere on the scarlet steam engine. When he finally found the compartment, he found that Draco was no alone either. Instead, he was accompanied by two boys who were so large he almost couldn't believe that they were first years. Theo had grown taller over the years, and now stood taller than most of his peers, but he was not nearly half as wide as the other two.

"Ah, Theo, I was wondering when you'd show your sorry face around here," Draco said, standing up from the odd little court he'd formed. He rewarded Theo with a genuine smile, and a warm handshake. "Sit down. This is Crabbe and Goyle."

Theo greeted the other two boys, but they had become increasingly interested in a package of cauldron cakes and barely grunted in response. He was happy to have found a place that he was welcomed, though, and settled into the bench that Draco was sitting on. It didn't take long for the two boys to settle into an easy conversation about Puddlemere United, and their new seeker who'd just transferred from the Appleby Arrows. They spoke the whole way up to the castle and even shared a boat together up to the magical castle, all the while laughing about how ridiculous and childish it all seemed.

Coming from a pureblood family, Theo knew what to expect from the sorting ceremony, and watched all the first years in front of him with disinterest. He was... _pleased_ when Daphne went to Slytherin before him, but less pleased to learn that two people as dimwitted as Crabbe and Goyle also did. It was no surprise that Draco went to Slytherin, as his family was just about as pureblood as Theo's was.

When the hat finally came to rest on his head, he didn't try to argue with the silly thing, and only felt relief when Slytherin was called as his house as well.

He found a seat at the table near Draco, who was settled in the middle of all the first years, as though he was the King in a court. Theo envied Draco's confident air, so positive that he was where he should be and that people should look up to him.

The mean girl from the train - Pansy Parkinson - had cuddled up to Draco, though she quickly realized that he wasn't going to pay her any attention. Not yet, anyway. She ended up spending most of the feast chatting with the other girls that had gone to Slytherin - Tracey Davis, Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne. Theo wondered how it was that they had all instinctually found each other while they were on the train together, seeking out no one who wouldn't be in their own house.

Then again, he'd supposed that had happened to them, too. Crabbe and Goyle had sat with him and Draco. The only other boy who hadn't been with them was a stoic looking fellow called Blaise Zabini. He seemed to fit right in with the rest of them, already showing a vicious wit that Theo was glad not to be on the wrong side of.

Draco immediately bemoaned the fact that _famous_ Harry Potter had gone to Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, and had decided that Potter most think he was too good for them. "My father told me to get to know him," Draco boasted in that proud way that only a Malfoy could. "But, I don't see what's so special about him. We'll just have to remind Potter who his betters are, since he's decided to befriend blood traitors like the Weasleys."

The rest of the first years wholeheartedly agreed that Potter wasn't worth their time, and was likely to be a failure of a wizard. Looking across the Great Hall to see how Weasley was massacring his food, Theo himself had to wonder just _what_ Potter saw in him in the first place.

Pushed to the edge of his new friends, Theo _wished_ that he had something witty and mean to add in about the Gryffindors, but nothing would come to him. Instead, he sat there silently, watching the rest of them chatter away, pleased with themselves, and he wondered if this was how the next seven years were going to go.

...

Theo had not wanted to return home to Nott Manor for the Yule holiday.

While he was not exactly _thriving_ at Hogwarts, he was enjoying himself exponentially more than he did while he was at home. Even though he knew that he'd be one of the only ones in Slytherin who actually stuck around during the holiday, Theo had written his father to ask for permission to stay.

Of course, his father had denied the request, informing his son that he would be at King's Cross to pick him up.

Now that he was home, though, Theo wondered why his father had asked him to come back at all. Notoriously neglectful, his father barely seemed to notice that Theo was home at all, leaving him alone for long stretches of time, and only showing up to interrogate him about his mid-term marks. There was not an ounce of praise that Theo had set himself amongst the top ten percent of students in all of his subjects.

Dinner had been a quiet affair, though the house elves had outdone themselves in their enthusiasm to have their young master home from school. It was far more turkey than his father and him could ever hope to eat, but it did taste good, even competing with the feast that had been promised at Hogwarts. At least this one was entirely catered to Theo's favorites, and he was certain he'd never get sick of the mashed potatoes that Saffy, his house elf, made.

After dinner, Theo had been forced to retire to his father's study with him and was handed a splash of firewhiskey once again. He wondered if it was his father's way of trying to bond with him or if his father was just concerned about making a man out of his only child. Either way, Theo still could not stomach the burn and made a face at the taste, setting his glass down as soon as he was finished. He did not ask for more.

To his surprise, his father actually gave him a fair number of presents. Not the pile of love and affection that Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were certain to give to Draco, a child that they had desperately wanted and loved. But, it couldn't be said that Alfred did not _provide_ for him either. He received a new racing broom, which was nice, as well as a book about Salazar Slytherin. Theo felt his stomach clench in guilt when he realized that he had not put any thought or effort into getting his father a gift, before he brushed it aside, remembering that he _hated_ the man.

"May I be excused, father?" he asked, as soon as he was able to.

His father gave him a hard look, before agreeing. "And take that damned crup with you, too," he instructed, looking at where Boots had curled up next to him on the couch.

Theo did not have to be told twice, and hurried out of his father's study, leaving his father alone to brood. Theo felt that twist inside himself again and wondered if his father was as lonely as he was, all by himself in the overly large manor house, before reminding himself that his father had no one to blame but himself.

Without realizing that his feet had taken him there, Theo stood outside his mother's bedroom. He hadn't been inside of it since before she had died, finding the idea of it too painful. Now, though...he wrapped his hand around the door handle before turning it.

Walking into the room, it was as if time had stopped. He'd asked Saffy to look after the room, keeping it clean, but not to touch anything inside of it. Now, it was painful to look around. His mother's robe still laid over the chair where she'd left it, untouched by the years. Crossing the room, he picked up the white garment and pressed it to his face, letting her scent wash over him. _Merlin,_ he missed her.

Theo wandered over to her small gramophone and set it to begin playing, letting the last song that she'd listen to fill the stillness. It was some kind of jazz - as melancholy and aching as he felt - but he was surprised that it wasn't something more contemporary, realizing that there was a whole side to his mother that he'd never known. He wished that he'd done more when she was alive.

Laying back on her bed, Theo wondered if he was making his mother proud. He'd tried to show that he was a different person to Daphne, but she'd rebuffed him at every chance thus far. Briefly, he wondered if he should have gotten her something for Yule. His mum would have been able to tell him, for sure, and she would have been able to pick out something _perfect_ , too. Something that Daphne would like, but would also show just how serious he was about the whole business.

He thought briefly about the blonde girl and realized that he didn't really know all that much about Daphne. He knew that she was brilliant at charms, while Theo was only average - a fact that thoroughly disappointed him, seeing as it had been his mum's best subject, too - but she struggled with potions. She was a fair flyer, though she didn't seem to enjoy Quidditch. And she liked sugar quills.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he decided that he shouldn't worry about it too much. Daphne certainly hadn't gotten _him_ anything for Yule, either, and she had a mother and father who would direct her in the appropriate ways of acting in their betrothal. They were still young - perhaps it was too early to be sending gifts and tokens of affection.

Not that he _felt_ any affection for Daphne.

Rolling onto his side, he let the sound of the violin in the music carry him away to some other place where he wasn't Theo Nott, where he didn't have a monster for a father, where he didn't have to marry a girl who detested him. He drifted off to a place where life was just a bit simpler. With his head resting against her pillow, Theo could almost imagine the feel of his mum's fingers running through his hair, comforting him.

...

Before he had realized it, the months had flown by and suddenly it was spring.

While he had been busy and focused on getting good marks, Theo had not forgotten that Daphne's birthday was in the beginning of May. After not having gotten her a present for Yule, he had decided that he would send her something small, just a little treat, to commemorate her twelfth birthday. He'd agonized over it for weeks, at one point almost owling his _father_ for advice, before deciding that it was a terrible idea, knowing that he was likely to be berated either way.

He'd gotten a packet of sugar quills, and he thought that it was a sufficient enough present to let her know that, _Merlin_ , he was _trying_ and that he noticed things about her and the things that he liked. That he wanted her to be happy.

But, he'd been far too nervous to give her the present in front of everyone. Instead, he'd gone up to the owlery and used one of the school owls to deliver the treat to her, and a little note. Simple, trite. _Happy Birthday, Daphne. Theo_. No mention of their relationship and certainly nothing mean. He hoped that it meant she'd be able to lie to her friends if they asked about it, if she hadn't already told them about the betrothal. The last thing that he wanted to do was embarrass her.

When the owls swooped down in the Great Hall to deliver their post, Theo had been so embarrassed that he'd hardly been able to look up from his plate, wishing that he hadn't done this. His stomach churned in nervousness while he convinced himself that he'd made a terrible mistake, but he knew that there was no turning back _now._ He noticed the moment that his package landed on Daphne's plate from the surprised little noise that she made.

"Theo," she called out to him, making his head snap up in surprise, his blue eyes meeting her's in one aching moment, so afraid that she was about to reveal what he'd done to all of their friends. "Thank you. They are my favorite," she said simply, unable to hide the shock on her face.

"I know," he said, his voice catching on the lump in his throat, making all the girls titter. They were laughing _at_ him, he knew, from the smirk that Pansy was directing towards him.

But then, that was that, and everything went back to normal. Theo was barely able to eat the rest of his dinner and was thrilled when they finally decided to go back to the Common Room. He immediately retreated up to the boys' dormitory.

He was not so lucky as to avoid the rest of his friends though. _All_ of the first year boys followed him up the stairs, eager to know more about the exchange that they'd witnessed. Blaise sat on the end of Theo's bed, looking at him with his unnerving eyes, before asking the question on everyone's mind. "What's up with you and Greengrass?" he asked, pointedly.

Theo shrugged, wondering why he'd had to go and reveal their betrothal. He was only trying to do something nice. Of course, it couldn't stay hidden forever, but they could have had a few more years without everyone knowing. "It's her birthday."

His answer certainly did _not_ satisfy Blaise's curiosity, but Draco was happy to fill in the blanks. "Don't you know?" he asked with a sneer, loving an opportunity to make Blaise look like an idiot. "Theo and Daphne are engaged to be married."

Blaise's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know that?" he demanded, missing the blush that Theo had on his cheeks.

"My grandfather told me over the break," Draco answered with a shrug, and Theo was reminded of his own father's insistence that Abraxas Malfoy would be furious that the Nott family had gotten to Daphne first. It was an idea that now seemed so reprehensible to him, as though Daphne were little more than a prize to be collected.

Blaise laughed, before turning back to look at where Theo was sitting on his bed, his legs pulled up to his chest. "Salazar, Nott, just how old-fashioned _is_ your bloody family?" he asked. "I haven't heard of an _actual_ betrothal happening in decades."

"Of course they are old-fashioned," Goyle grunted from where he was lounging on his bed. He'd reached into his bedside table and was stuffing his face with pumpkin pasties. Who knew how long those had been in there. "Haven't you seen how _ancient_ Nott's father is?"

"Good one, Goyle," Draco answered with a laugh.

Theo felt himself flush even further, while he tried to come up with a suitable comeback to Goyle's teasing, but he was unable to. Really, he didn't feel the need to defend his father, but it felt as if he should say something back when his family was under attack.

Internally, he was thinking about how close Draco had grown to Crabbe and Goyle, and he hated himself a bit for feeling jealous of those two goons. He and Draco had been close friends as children, but now he was feeling less and less like he had anything in common with the Malfoy heir. It seemed that Draco was less interested in an equal and more interested in having two bigger friends that agreed with everything he said.

Theo's attention was brought back to Blaise, who cleared his throat. "That's rough, Theo," he said with pity in his eyes. "When do you have to marry her?"

Knowing that there was no point in denying that he was betrothed to Daphne, Theo considered his words. "After school," he said, using his fingers to push back his toffee colored hair. He didn't really want to talk about his impending marriage with them, seeing as it still seemed too far off for a twelve year old.

Blaise, to his surprise, seemed to understand. Giving Theo a hopeful smile, the other boy quickly changed the subject to other topics. Theo wondered if he might have an ally in the arrogant boy.

...

During the Leaving Feast, Theo sat at the Slytherin table, wondering how so many exciting things had been going on under his nose the whole school year, with none of the Slytherins being any the wiser. To him, the year had gone by quickly, but it had truly been a little bit boring, if he was honest. He certainly hadn't managed to save the Philosopher's Stone or sneak past a Cerberus or play in a life size game of chess.

But, as the rumors went, that is what the Gryffindors were up to.

Staring across the Great Hall, his eyes lingered on the three friends - Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Theo was a bit perplexed that such _un_ remarkable wizards had been able to achieve even an eighth of what the rumors said they had. Except Granger, he supposed.

Of course, you'd have to be daft not to realize that Granger was, begrudgingly, a very talented witch and _not_ in spite of being a muggleborn. Draco and, spurred on by his increasingly famous rants, Pansy frequently scorned Granger's successes and took every opportunity that they could to tear her down in classes. All of their words hadn't kept her from achieving the highest marks of the years.

Potter, for all of his celebrity, seemed intent on doing as little work as he possibly could. Theo had looked over one of his essays before while Potter was handing it in and Theo had been utterly appalled at the chicken scratch that he called handwriting.

Weasley, well...Weasley barely merited a mention.

The Slytherins had all felt pretty proud to have won the House Cup that year, and Theo was proud of the number of points that he had contributed to his house. Draco had messed up earlier in the year when he'd tattled on the Gryffindors being out of bed after curfew by...being out of bed after curfew, but he'd more than made up for the lost points in classes, at least half of those points coming in potions class alone.

So that's why it felt like such a gut punch when Dumbledore went about lavishing points on Potter, Granger and Weasley - and _Longbottom_ of all people - all at the last minute, ensuring that it was Gryffindor who had truly won the House Cup. Dinner that night tasted like ash in his mouth, and Theo found himself actually joining in with Draco's rude barbs about the Gryffindors.

They were so upset that they still hadn't been able to stop talking about it on the Hogwarts Express back home for the year. Theo, knowing that Daphne was likely to reject him soundly once again, hadn't even asked if she wanted him to accompany her on the train. Instead, he retreated to a compartment with the other boys from Slytherin. "Just wait until my father hears about _this_ ," Draco complained loudly for the tenth time. "Dumbledore has really lost his marbles this time."

"Yes, yes, we know, your father is on the Board of Governors, Draco," Blaise said with a roll of his eyes, before returning his gaze out the window. It was annoying to hear the broken record of Draco's complaining. "I will believe it when I see it."

"Theo, tell him!" Draco demanded, throwing his hands up in the air. "Tell him about how...how my father is important."

Theo's eyes widened a hair when he realized that Draco was feeling self-conscious. It was oddly...satisfying to know that the normally proud boy was not actually so different from him. Theo cleared his throat, trying to decide what he was going to say. "Draco's father _is_ on the Board of Governor's, which is in control of Hogwarts," Theo said with a shrug. "But, I don't know what he'll be able to do about Dumbledore. He is only one of many." He decided that he wasn't just going to be a mindless fool who went along with everything Draco said like Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco looked put out. "What?" he asked, sounding a bit hurt.

"I just mean...he'll need support to get something done. He can't just do it all on his own. So I wouldn't get your hopes up about having a new Headmaster next year," Theo said, feeling more confident the more he spoke.

"Exactly," Blaise said in agreement, shooting Theo a grateful look.

"We'll just have to show those Gryffindors who the real winners are next year," Theo said, knowing that he was even more driven to get house points than the year before. "We'll get so many house points that even Dumbledore won't be able to make Gryffindor win."

"Fine," Draco mumbled with a frown, the tips of his ears going a bit pink in embarrassment.

Blaise let out a sigh. "Thank _Merlin_ that's over," he said, dramatically. "Now, can we talk about more important things? Like Quidditch? The EUQA Cup is next summer and I just know that Italy is going to _destroy_ England." He taunted. Blaise was somehow Italian - though the connection wasn't entirely clear on account of his mother having had so many husbands, and he didn't give many details on his father.

The gauntlet was thrown, then, and it was enough to get the other four boys arguing in England's defense for the majority of the train ride. They discussed Slytherin's chances next year and the possibility of trying out for the squad themself. Theo was a fair flyer himself, but he didn't think he'd make the team either.

Leaning back against the seat, Theo grinned from ear to ear, finally feeling at home for once. Sure, he was never going to be as outgoing as the other boys were, but he was far from alone. Even if Daphne still didn't want to talk to him _now_ , he'd have good company for the years ahead of him.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows! I have such a new appreciation for the truly rare pairs now, so seriously, each comment and note I get on this story means so much. This chapter takes place in year three, and there is finally some Daphne POV. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates, and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter three and be on the lookout for chapter four next week!

* * *

Theo was excited to begin his third year of schooling at Hogwarts, if only because it meant he could finally take some elective classes. He'd spent most of the summer reviewing all of the different options of classes and weighing the pros and cons of each.

He knew that most of his classmates were only intended on taking the minimum two additional courses, but Theo knew that he had the capacity for more and his father had - for once - wholeheartedly agreed. In the end, he selected Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.

There had, of course, been no chance of him _not_ taking Arithmancy. It was an area of study that genuinely interested him, but he also knew that it was his father excelled in the subject as well. "Any son of mine worth his snuff will take Arithmancy," his father had said, when they reviewed the class list together. "And you'll get all Outstandings as well."

Once again, there was no _or else_ implied.

Ancient Runes seemed interesting enough, and Theo thought that it would probably have some practical applications as well, should he ever desire to work at the Ministry. He wasn't certain that his father would allow him to have a menial job, but Theo wasn't blind to his father's advanced age. Alfred Nott was not going to live forever.

He'd waffled back and forth on Care of Magical Creatures, but in the end his curiosity had won out. He was not blind to the fact that he'd been the only one who was able to see the odd horse-like creatures that pulled the carriages up to the castle the year before, and had spend some time looking into them. It hadn't taken long for him to realize that they were called thestrals, and only someone who'd seen death was able to see them. He felt an odd sort of affinity to the morose beasts, silent and alone, bearing the weight of their sadness in solitary. Just like he did.

He knew that they wouldn't be studying thestrals for several years, yet, but he wanted to learn more about them, even if it meant that he had to put up with the oaf, Hagrid, and his downright _dangerous_ lesson plans. He honestly couldn't believe that the Headmaster was letting him teach, and he knew that his father would want him to drop the class if he knew, so Theo kept it to himself, suffering in silence.

The rest of his classes continued on as normal. They had their third Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in as many years. Quirrell had been so nervous about teaching that he could barely get a word out in lessons, and Lockhart had been so full of himself that he couldn't _stop_ talking in lessons, but Professor Lupin _actually_ seemed like a competent enough bloke.

While Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins would mock the man for his shabby appearance and his scarred face, Theo found himself actually looking forward to the class. It was an excellent combination of discussion of spell mechanics as well as practical application, and Theo found himself feeling confident about his dueling ability for the first time in his life.

He was used to flying under the radar when it came to his professors. He did well in all of his classes, but he didn't go around showing off by raising his hands or answering questions. He kept to the bare minimum of work, toeing the line of keeping himself and his father happy. So he was surprised when Professor Lupin actually knew his name.

They'd just been dismissed from Defense Against the Dark Arts when Professor Lupin called for him. "Mister Nott, please stay after," he said, making Draco and Blaise snicker at him, wondering what Theo had done to get in trouble. He'd gone two whole years without so much as losing a house point so far, so it was certainly out of the ordinary.

Theo crossed the gulf towards Professor Lupin's desk, where he stood leaning against the battered wood. Lupin's eyes search back and forth across Theo's face looking for _something_ though Theo couldn't imagine what it was that he was looking for.

"Was there something wrong with my essay, Professor?" Theo asked, hesitantly, knowing that they had yet to get their most recent papers back. He'd been positive that he'd followed the instructions to the letter, but he wouldn't put it past Crabbe or Goyle to try to pass his work off as their own. Surely, Lupin would be smart enough to understand that it wasn't _his_ doing.

"No, nothing is wrong with your paper, Mister Nott," the shabby professor said with a wry grin. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he offered.

Theo's eyebrows knit together, while he wondered just what Professor Lupin was playing at. "No thank you, sir," he answered, not wanting to agree to something that seemed so _friendly_ from a man that he barely knew at all.

Professor Lupin sighed, pushing some of his greying hair back from his face, his scars illuminated in the dying sunlight streaming in the windows. "Why don't we have a seat?" he offered, before settling into a chair at one of the desks.

Pausing, Theo paused, but did as he was told. His fingers dug into the wood of the seat that he'd selected, his legs feeling too long for the cramped space. Swallowing thickly, he decided to let Lupin steer this _discussion_ , if that's what it really was. The other man had grown taciturn and melancholy.

"Are you enjoying Hogwarts, Theodore?" Professor Lupin asked, after a moment.

Theo stilled at the use of his given name. Of course, he wasn't blind to the fact that Professor Lupin called many people by their given names, but that mostly only extended to the Gryffindors. He couldn't think of another time that Lupin had called a Slytherin by their name. Licking his lower lip, Theo thought over the question. "Yes, I enjoy the school work. I'm in the top of the class."

"Good," Lupin encouraged, giving him a small smile and nodding his head. "And you feel like you're settling in well?"

Confused, Theo could no longer allow this farce of a conversation to go on. "Am I in trouble Professor?" he demanded, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. "Or do you make it a point to inquire after all of your students?"

"No, of course, you are not in trouble, Theodore," Lupin answered with another one of his _knowing_ smiles, showing off the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes - wrinkles that one as young as Lupin shouldn't have. Theo wondered briefly if Lupin also felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, same as he sometimes did. "In fact, I am most pleased with your progress in my class."

"Then...why am I here, Professor?" Theo asked, feeling on edge. He was at a distinct disadvantage in this situation, and hated the way that he felt...off balance.

"I've been meaning to talk with you since term began," Lupin said finally, his eyes dropping down to his knees. "To...give you my condolences for the death of your mother."

Of all the things that Theo had been expecting Lupin to say, any mention of his mother was at the absolute bottom of the list. Being reminded of her death was like a punch to the gut, and he wasn't entirely sure what to think about _Lupin_ of all people reaching out to him. "Did you know my mother?" Theo asked, feeling more adrift than he had before. He didn't know many people who knew his mother, and she was nearly a forbidden topic in his own household.

"We were at school together," Lupin explained, a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips, as if he was remembering some long forgotten memories. "Cora and I...well, we were friends, I suppose."

Theo sucked in a breath, a bit horrified at what the other man was clearly suggesting. Had there been something more than just friendship between his mother and his professor? To his shame, Theo had never considered much about her life _before_ he'd been born. There were no illusions in his mind that his parents had ever had a happy marriage, but he also never wondered if she'd been in love with _someone else_ before his father, either. He felt a bit horrible that he didn't know her as well as he thought. Blinking back tears, Theo hated Professor Lupin in that moment, for knowing more about his own mother than Theo did.

Obviously surprised by the sudden show of emotion, Lupin reached over to press his hand to Theo's shoulder. "I'm very sorry, Theo. It wasn't my intention to upset you."

Unable to stand looking into Lupin's eyes for another moment, knowing that he'd see nothing but pity, Theo stood abruptly, nearly knocking back his chair in the process. "I just don't like to talk about her," he said simply.

"Of course," Lupin agreed, standing as well. "I just...it wouldn't have felt right, _not_ to check in with you, for her sake."

Theo didn't _want_ Lupin to be checking in on him, and certainly not out of some loyalty to his mother. It hurt too much. Needing to get out of there as soon as possible, Theo turned tail and fled the room, not caring if it was impolite.

...

Of course, third year brought more than just additional classes. It also meant he was finally able to go to Hogsmeade weekends. His father had eagerly signed the require permission slips, reminiscing about his own school days, where he and the other Slytherin boys would huddle up at the Hog's Head with the boy who would become the Dark Lord, and discuss their plans for the wizarding world.

Alfred didn't seem to think that Theo was ready for that _quite_ yet, but he was quick to remind Theo about his betrothal to Daphne Greengrass, and instructed that he should take her to a Hogsmeade weekend.

For once, Theo agreed with his father, thinking that it was a good idea to ask Daphne. After all, other boys would be bringing dates to the little village. He had no illusions that he and Daphne would become a couple right away, but he figured that it would be a good opportunity for them to get to know each other a little bit better. Despite being together in the same house, they knew almost nothing about one another.

Knowing that it was a good idea to take the blonde girl to Hogsmeade and _asking_ her was another situation entirely. While he knew in the end, Daphne was the girl that he would end up marrying, the thought of asking her to the village made him feel as if a colony of butterflies had taken up residence in his stomach.

Theo knew that he'd only end up embarrassed if he asked Daphne in front of his friends, but he managed to find her on her own after dinner one evening. "Daphne, wait up!" he called after her, leaving his plate half full of food when he saw her make an early exit from the Great Hall.

Daphne stalled, waiting for him, which was a small mercy, Theo supposed. He was a bit surprised that she hadn't made him chase her down. She turned to look at him, questions in her green eyes. "Yes, Theo?" she asked when he finally made it to her side.

"How are you doing?" he asked, stumbling over his words as the nervousness took over him. He knew that he needed to just bite the bullet and ask her before he talked himself out of it. "Are you headed back to the Common Room?"

"Er, yes?" she answered, her fingers playing with the binding of the book that she was caring. He tried to get a look at the title, but he couldn't read it from the angle.

Running his fingers through his hair, he let his eyes drop to his shoes. Walking with one foot in front of the other, he figured that he could accompany her back. He could get through this - he tried to give himself a pep talk - it was _just_ Daphne. "So, the first Hogsmeade weekend is just around the corner," he said, hoping that he sounded casual.

"Yeah," Daphne agreed, nodding vigorously. "It will be nice to get out of the castle for a bit."

"I was wondering, if..." Theo trailed off, worried about her rejection. He clenched his eyes shut so that he could just get it out. "If you might like to go to Hogsmeade...with me?" he questioned, his eyes darting to look at her face.

Daphne looked pained, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "No, Theo, I can't go to Hogsmeade with you," she said finally, unable to meet his eyes. "I've already decided that I am going to go with my friends."

There is was again. Rejection.

"Oh, okay," Theo said, trying to control his reaction to her words. Of course, it made perfect sense that she would rather go with her friends than with him. Even if he _understood_ , it still didn't make it hurt any less. He was trying here, and so far, Daphne had done nothing to acknowledge the betrothal looming between them. "You know...we are going to have to get used to getting along with one another because of...well, you know. I'd hoped that we might get to know one another a bit better, but...maybe another time?"

Daphne just grimaced once again, turning to look at him. "Look Theo, I know that we _have_ to in the end, but honestly, I'm not really thinking about anything so serious as _marriage_ right now," she told him honestly. "We're barely even teenagers yet, and I just want to...have some fun while I can."

Theo swallowed thickly, realizing that the implication was that she would never have any fun _with him_. He nodded in agreement, even if he didn't entirely agree. He wanted to learn how to have fun with Daphne now, so that they weren't going to have years of misery once their families forced them to get married. But, perhaps she was right. "Alright then," he said, with a sharp nod. "Some other time, some other year," he agreed.

He just wished that she could see that he'd had no hand in this arrangement either.

...

The Yule holiday had snuck up quicker than ever, and for once, Theo's father agreed to let him stay at Hogwarts when he requested. It was odd - apparently he had some sort of business and wouldn't be in the house much over the holiday, even though Theo wasn't entirely sure what sort of work he could be doing in the first place. He wouldn't complain though. The less time that he had to spend at his lonely house, the better.

Hogwarts would be lonely too, but in a different way. Almost all of the Slytherin students would return home for the holiday, including the rest of the boys in his year, leaving his dormitory blissfully empty for once. There were only a handful of students that stayed behind this year, and Theo was surprised to see all the large tables in the Great Hall had been pushed away and replaced by one single table, where everyone would be sitting.

He felt his stomach turn into a knot when he realized that he might finally come to the attention of students and other members of the student body as one of the only Slytherins still there. Slipping into an empty chair, he kept his face down to his plate and prayed that Professor Lupin wouldn't try to speak to him again as a _friend_ of his mother's.

Mealtime passed without incidence and Theo found himself wandering the corridors, unsure of what to do with himself. They had no homework over the break, and so he had no reason to go to the library. Eventually, he decided to head back to the Common Room.

There, sitting at one of the big couches in front of the fireplace, was Daphne Greengrass, with her legs propped up under her while she read a book. Theo smiled to herself, noticing for once how pretty she looked in that moment, and imagined some time in the future where they might spend their winter evenings together reading, Boots cuddled between them. There was something different about her, something softer, that he couldn't quite pinpoint.

Wanting to chance everything, he crossed the room, only to take a seat next to her. "Daphne? I didn't know you were staying back for Yule," he said, softly gaining her attention. "I didn't see you at breakfast."

Daphne closed her book at rewarded him with a little smile. "Mother and Father have gone to Switzerland for their anniversary," she explained. "Astoria and I were up late last night, opening presents and eating too many chocolates. Neither one of us was really hungry for breakfast."

Theo had to school his face so that he didn't blink owlishly at her. That was quite possibly the most _and_ the nicest that Daphne had ever spoken to him in their short lives. "That sounds like fun," he answered, wondering what it must be like to have a younger sibling. It was a guarantee that you would not find yourself lonely, like he so often did, though Theo had grown to enjoy the solitude. "How is Astoria liking Hogwarts?" he inquired, realizing that he hadn't given much thought at all to the younger Greengrass sister.

"Oh, she's liking it just fine. Though I was enjoying a bit of independence from her, so I am not entirely thrilled to have her underfoot all the time," Daphne explained, tucking some of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"I understand," Theo agreed, even though he did not. His eyes widened when he realized what it was that was so different about her. "You've stopped wearing the braids in your hair."

"Well spotted," Daphne teased him back.

"I mean, I've only just noticed," Theo stammered out, wondering if it was rather rude of him to comment on a girls' looks. "It's very pretty," he said, feeling a blush on his cheeks.

Daphne giggled, a very pleasing sound, if he was honest. "Well, I decided I needed a bit of a change," she mentioned, running her fingers through the long, straight locks. "We all have to grow up eventually, don't we. And I'm not the only one who's changed," she said, giving him a pointed look.

Theo blinked at her. "I don't know what you are talking about," he said, sounding confused.

"Well, I just mean..you're _finally_ taller than me, Theo," Daphne teased, laughing at how perplexed he looked.

Rolling his eyes at the girl, he scoffed. "You haven't been taller than me since we started school, Daph," he said. It was true that he'd gone through quite a growth spurt in the past months, and he was now one of the tallest in the class. If his father's build was anything to judge by, he still had several more inches to grow. It was odd to think that someday he might be towering over the rest of his classmates. He also detested the thought that he would only continue to grow to look _more_ like his father, someone he wanted little to do with.

...

Lying back on her bed with Millicent and Tracey, Daphne eagerly looked through the most recent issue of some fashion magazine. Even though they were all too young still to wear any of the fine robes depicted on the glossy pages, it was still fun to look, and plan for the future when they would all wear fancy gowns to fancy Ministry balls, on the arms of professional Quidditch players or whatever dastardly handsome playboy caught their eye at the moment.

Pansy sat on the bed opposite them, painting her toenails a lurid red color, her legs bunched up under her arms so that she could reach all of her toes. Blowing some of the hair out of her face, she couldn't help but scold her friends for fantasizing about their futures. "I don't know why you're looking there, when he all know that there is only one guy worth marrying - Draco Malfoy."

"Please, Draco's annoying," Tracey said, rolling back onto her stomach so that she could stare down the dark haired girl, her own fingers going to play with her own red waves. "Who would want to marry him?"

"You're just jealous because _I'm_ going to marry Draco," Pansy snapped back, no hint of a blush on her cheeks. Instead, she just looked triumphant. "In fact, his mother asked after me in her most recent letter and so it's almost set in stone at this point."

Millie caught Daphne's eye over the head of Tracey and they shared a look of exasperation. "I'll be sorry for you when you end up marrying someone like Goyle," Millie said meanly. "Just because his mum has asked about you doesn't mean that you are going to get married. It could mean anything."

"He didn't even ask you to Hogsmeade," Daphne added, trying to bring down the girl's ego a bit. It wasn't that she wanted to ruin Pansy's fun - although it was always a treat to watch her pout - but more to help her not to get her hopes up _too_ much. Daphne hadn't known Draco for very long, but she did not get the impression that he felt any particular way for Pansy.

Pansy sputtered and frowned at the insinuation. "Well of course not. None of us got asked to Hogsmeade this year. It's a bit early yet, for him to make his intentions known," she said, replacing the top to her nail polish bottle. "But next year...I imagine we'll be spending all of our Hogsmeade weekends at Madame Puddifoot's."

Tracey sighed once again, before rolling back onto her back, reopening the magazine. "Well, you are welcome to Malfoy. I've got my eye on other wizards," she said smartly, knowing that at least half of the appeal to Pansy was having something that other people wanted.

"Oh really? And just who is it?" Pansy demanded, unwilling to be one-upped by the other girl.

Tracey gave Pansy a smirk. "Adrian Pucey. He's really smart and he's _so dreamy_ ," she answered. "And he actually plays _well_ on the Quidditch team."

"Draco plays well, too," Pansy retorted, sourly.

"I like Lucian Bole," Millie stated. "I think that we would make beautiful babies together."

"Ugh, you would need someone like Bole to make a beautiful baby, Millie," Pansy said rudely. "Hopefully they would take after their father."

Millie did not take the bait and just ignored Pansy's whining. "What about you, Daph? Who do you want to marry?" Millie asked, looking at her blonde friend, who had gone unusually silent.

"Oh, me?" she asked, suddenly very invested in her hair, checking for split ends. "I suppose that I haven't really given it much thought. I am sure that I will find someone to sweep me off my feet eventually."

"Don't be silly, you know that Daphne just _adores_ Nott," Pansy said with a smirk from her spot on the bed, making no secret what she thought of the gangly boy.

"I _don't_ adore Nott," Daphne insisted, feeling her cheeks heat in embarrassment. She didn't even really like Theo. He was okay to talk to every now and again, but unfortunately, he always reminded her of their shared fate, one that she was desperately trying to ignore.

"Well, Theo certainly likes _you_ ," Tracey said with a snort from her spot on the bed. "He's always giving you little smiles and he always watches you. It's kind of _cute_."

Daphne was taken aback by the thought that one of her friends might think that Theo was cute. She'd prefer it if they never mentioned him at all. "It's not like that," she insisted. "Our mothers were just friends, that's all." She wrapped her arms around her legs, wishing that she could disappear into her bed.

Her friends had absolutely no idea how right they were. She hadn't told anyone at Hogwarts that she and Theo were betrothed, and she wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. It was embarrassing and infuriating that she had to be reminded every day in classes that her parents had just made such a huge decision for her life.

Objectively, she knew that it was wrong to hold her anger against Theo, too, when he'd really just tried to be friendly with him, but she was pissed off that she was having her choice taken away. But, part of her worried that if she did allow herself to be friends with Theo, it would feel like she was giving in to what her parents wanted. That she would be giving up. She briefly wondered if Theo felt the same way ever, before remembering the goofy smiles that he would give her ever since they had spent Yule together, and pushed that thought from her mind. He seemed to think that it was a great idea.

The discussion of who they were all going to marry felt hollow and soul-crushing to Daphne. For a moment, she truly envied Millie and Tracey for being half-bloods, knowing that their mothers would never make such life changing decisions for them, before they had even set foot inside Hogwarts.

Feeling unusually bitter, Daphne tried to blink back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She didn't want her friends to see her crying, because she was afraid that it would just confirm...well, she wasn't entirely sure what it would confirm. But she knew if they asked her what was wrong, the whole story would come tumbling out of her mouth, leaving her a social pariah of the highest order.

...

Theo's father was waiting for him at the platform when he walked off of the Hogwarts express, looking at him with a grim expression. Ducking his head down, Theo did not want any of his classmates to see him with his father, knowing how unusual it was for him to have such an elderly father. He was embarrassed of his family and wished that he could move between Hogwarts and home without notice.

As soon as he got to his father's side, his father pressed his hand to Theo's shoulder. Because he'd grown taller over the months he'd been away, Theo could very nearly see eye to eye with his father now, but not quite. "Show me the girl that's going to carry our family's legacy," his father said with a grim smile.

Theo felt his stomach coil in nervousness, not wanting to expose Daphne to his father if he could help it. The way that he talked about Daphne set him on edge, as though she were little more than a vessel to carry the next heir. The same way that he'd looked at Theo's mother.

His eyes darting around the platform, he was able to find Daphne and Astoria quite easily, her blonde hair shining like a beacon in the sunlight. Furtively, he pointed her out to his father, hoping that he wouldn't do anything to embarrass him _or_ Daphne.

His father made a small noise of approval, before guiding Theo a bit further away so that they could apparate home. "She's pretty enough," his father complimented, in a way that just made Theo's hair stand on end. He didn't want his father to comment on Daphne's attractiveness, though even he could not deny that Daphne had grown into a very pretty girl. Already, the other boys in his year casually mentioned her - despite knowing that she was to marry Theo - leaving him feeling unusually possessive and withdrawn.

"And how did she like Hogsmeade with her future husband?" his father asked, once they'd made it to his study, another glass of firewhiskey pressed into Theo's hand, even though it was still early in the morning.

Theo swallowed thickly, before taking a fortifying swig of the amber liquid. It didn't burn as much this time. "We didn't go, father," he said dutifully, knowing that it would do him no good to lie about it. "She went with friends, and I did as well."

His father did not approve of the answer. "So useless, you can't even take a girl who is contractually obligated to marry you to Hogsmeade," his father sneered at him. "How do you expect to do your duty with her and provide me an heir if you can't even fucking talk to the girl?"

Theo's cheeks blushed bright red, thinking that it was a bit _early_ to be even _thinking_ about doing _that_ with Daphne. "We are friends father," he answered, trying not to stammer. "We spent Yule together, talking the whole time," he explained desperately. His eyes dropped to the glass that he held in his hand. "It just seems a little early for dating at Hogwarts. Almost no one brought a date this year."

Giving him a hard look, his father gave him a little noise of disapproval at the explanation, but did not attempt to berate him any further. Theo relaxed, hoping that he at least accepted the reasoning, even if he did not particularly agree with it. Theo would take anything he could get with Daphne at this point, and personally, he thought that their tentative friendship was certainly a step in the right direction.

Unwilling to spend more time in his father's presence than he was required to, Theo quickly finished what was left in his glass, hating the burning feeling in his stomach. "May I be excused, father?" he nearly begged. Waiting for his father's terse nod, Theo fled the room immediately.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so glad that you guys are enjoying Theo's characterization so much. He's definitely going through a lot and all on his own. This chapter looks at fourth year, so of course it basically all centers around the Yule Ball. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Let me know what you thought of chapter four and be on the lookout for chapter five next week!

* * *

Theo hadn't seen Daphne on the train ride to Hogwarts.

He'd hoped he might when Pansy had come into the compartment that the boys were all sitting in and found her way next to Draco, heaping loads of praise onto him. For half a moment, Theo hopped that Daphne would not be far behind her friend, slipping into the open seat next to him and asking how his summer had been.

But, she did not, and Theo had no one to tell that his summer had been terrible, his father out of the Manor more often than not, leaving him to his own devices. He wasn't complaining about not seeing his father, but the comforting loneliness of the Manor seemed to evaporate overnight, and not even his mum's jazz records could chase the uneasiness out of his mind.

He didn't see her until dinner when they were squished next to each other on account of all the new first years shoving their way into the middle of the table. Theo didn't mind, but the feeling of Daphne's bare leg pressed against his own had his heart doing funny little flip flops. He could get a better look at her from that angle, and he was left feeling a bit breathless.

She'd grown more beautiful over the summer, her blonde hair tousled and sun-kissed. Her face had grown more angular as well, as she lost some of the baby fat roundness in her cheeks. Her normally unblemished skin now had a fresh smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks, but he found them undeniably _cute_. "Did you have a good summer, Daphne?" he asked, hoping that his voice wouldn't crack.

The Slytherin girl looked up at him out of the corner of her eye, before giving him a small, contented smile. "Yes, mum and dad took Astoria and I to Naples this summer," she said with a sigh. "I wish I could spend the rest of my life on the beach. I felt more mermaid than witch while I was swimming there," she said brightly.

Theo nodded, looking at her tanned skin and thinking that she rather looked like some sunshine sprite. She looked lovely and full of life, and he sadly realized that he couldn't give her that sort of life. Not yet, anyway. "Wow, that sounds fun," he said. "I've never even been to the Continent."

Daphne frowned at his words, and Theo wanted to kick himself for sounding like such a miserable sod. Somehow he'd managed to make her summer hols into him feeling sorry for himself.

"What did you do this summer?" she asked, her body angling towards him, and he felt peculiar to have all of her attention on him. His eyes dropped to her lips, which seemed to be shimmering with some kind of light pink gloss, and for the first time in his entire life, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

Shaking his head to clear it from those kind of thoughts, he tried to come up with a way to describe his summer without sounding like it was completely terrible. "Oh, a bit of this and that," Theo answered, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Spent a lot of time out on the grounds with my crup, Boots."

"I didn't know you had a crup," Daphne said, her nose scrunched up in a little grin.

"Well, don't you remember? We had him when you and your sister used to come and visit," he said, caught off-guard that she shouldn't remember the friendly pup. "Well, he was really my mum's. My father doesn't really care for him, but he keeps me great company."

"So, that's all you did? Hung around with your crup?" Daphne asked, playing with the ends of her honey blonde hair, that had only seemed to grow longer every time that he saw her. Theo was temporary stunned by the realization that he wanted to know what her hair felt like, thinking that it looked impossibly soft, like corn silk.

Shaking his head, Theo realized that he needed to say something else so that he didn't sound like a total loser in Daphne's eyes. "I went to some Quidditch matches with Draco and Blaise, too," he said, looking down the table to where his blond friend was sneering at Crabbe and Goyle, and he briefly wondered how it was possible that Draco could be so _nice_ \- well, perhaps nice was not the right word for it - when it was just the two of them together. "I was meant to go to the final game, too, but my father changed his mind at the last minute."

"Lucky that," Daphne said with pursed lips, as though she didn't really believe what he was saying.

Belatedly, Theo remembered what had happened after the match, with the Dark Lord's mark being left in the sky for everyone to see. He wished he hadn't mentioned his father to Daphne at all, realizing that it was well known that the elder Nott was a unabashed blood purist. He'd never been a convicted Death Eater, but it was a bit of an open secret that he was involved.

Theo had a sinking feeling in his stomach when he returned to his dinner, hoping that Daphne didn't think of him that way. It would be an easy mistake to make, thinking that all the Slytherin boys longed to grow up _just_ like their fathers, especially with the way Draco strutted about the castle, name dropping Lucius as often as he could. Truthfully, Theo wanted nothing to do with his father, and the thought of following in his footsteps was enough to make him want to run away to the muggle world. Annoyed, he had begun to understand as he grew older, he would have to make the distinction between himself and his father well known.

...

Daphne had begun to think that life was meant to be terribly boring for her. Nothing exciting ever happened to her. She was not like some of the Gryffindors who were chased by trolls and basilisks (which, truthfully, she didn't want to be, but it would still be _nice_ to break out of the monotony every now and again). She certainly wasn't like Tracey, being pulled into broom closets at every chance by Blaise Zabini, who seemed to have suddenly realized that she was a woman over the summer.

Bitterly, Daphne knew that there were not going to be clandestine meetings in broom closets or empty, dusty classrooms for her, because she was already engaged to be married. When she cried to her mother over the summer, her mother had been unsympathetic, insisting that Theo Nott was a lovely boy who would treat her well. Daphne tended to disagree, knowing what had happened to Theo's mother, and fearing that the same fate would someday befall her.

In the meantime, though, Theo was quite possibly the most boring boy that her mother and father could have possibly chosen for her. He barely ever talked to anyone, preferring quiet pursuits and being alone to sending time with the rest of the Slytherins in their year. His physical form didn't do anything to change her opinion on him, either. He was tall and thin, but so painfully meek that Daphne was surprised he was able to get the courage to speak with her at all.

She was destined to go through her years at Hogwarts, untouched and unkissed, only to be married off to the most dreadfully boring boy the minute she graduated. Then she would shrivel away in anonymity, because Nott didn't seem like the kind of person who'd take his wife out on the town.

It was all terribly unfair.

That was, of course, until they got the wonderful news that the Triwizard tournament was coming to Hogwarts. Millie had run into the girls' dorm one evening, breathless, clutching a letter to her chest. "My father has just written me. Apparently Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be sending students here for some sort of tournament," she said with a grin on her face.

"Does that mean?" Tracey had asked, immediately sitting up from her spot on the bed. "New _boys_?"

Daphne felt her face flush immediately. Of course, you would have to be daft not to know about the boys from Durmstrang. Many of the boys in their social circle played with the idea of heading to Durmstrang because the curricula was more demanding. After all, Adrian Pucey had even been _enrolled_ there, before his mum had had a change of heart at the last moment.

Even Pansy, who seemed to be eternally up Draco's arse, seemed enthused by the idea of this new development. "Oh sweet Salazar," she whispered, shoving her short hair behind her ears. "The have the _best_ uniforms. I can't wait for them to show up. Did you father say when they would show up?"

Millie shook her head back and forth. "Soon, he said, but he didn't know the exact date," she explained.

"Well, I for one can't wait," Daphne finally piped up, thinking about how handsome the Durmstrang boys were going to look. They wouldn't be anything like the little boys here at Hogwarts - instead, they would all be tall and broad and handsome. And they wouldn't have any idea about her betrothal to one Theodore Nott. It would be a perfect chance for her to get a few snogs in before she was resigned to a terribly depressing marriage. "If there is going to be a tournament, you know that means there is going to be a Ball. I, for one, won't accept any Hogwarts boy as my date. Only Durmstrang will do," she said proudly.

 _That_ set off a fresh round of squeals from the girls, as they clearly hadn't realized it yet. Tracey began compiling all the fashion magazines that they had so that they could begin looking for dress robes. "I only just realized," Pansy said, disappointedly, once she had selected an emerald green number. "You said that Beauxbatons girls would be coming too. That means we are going to have to deal with a bunch of blonde bitches," she groaned, before giving Daphne a reproachful look. "No offense, Daph."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "None taken," she answered, but she agreed that it was something to consider. "I heard that they have some part Veelas at Beauxbatons," Daphne added. Hopefully, all the best Durmstrang boys wouldn't be snapped up by pretty French girls. Biting her lip, she wondered if the boys just the staircase over were dreaming about snatching up some Beauxbatons witch for the dance. She wondered if she should be feeling jealous.

"Don't worry girls," Tracey said brightly, a Slytherin smirk on her face. "We will just have to show them who's best. And, there is one one better than a Slytherin girl," she finished, obviously quite proud of herself.

The four friends all agreed that they would find the _best_ dates for the dance, and that none of them would go alone. Daphne was just excited for a taste of freedom before she graduated school.

...

Theo's mind had certainly not jumped immediately to the Yule Ball when he heard about the Triwizard Tournament.

If he was honest, he was more than a little bit caught up with the drama that stemmed from Harry Potter being selected as the _fourth Tri_ wizard in the tournament. It had caused ripples through the school, and through Potter's little group of friends. It was no secret that Weasley and Potter weren't speaking to one another, and Granger flittered between the two of them, trying her best not to pick sides.

Draco had been incensed when he learned that Potter was once again thrust into the spotlight, some how subverting all the wards meant to keep out underage wizards, and had started in on a school wide campaign to humiliate the other boy at every turn. Theo wasn't stupid though. He knew that there was no way that Potter would have dreamed of putting his name in the Goblet of Fire.

Having the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang there had been novel at first, but since the weeks had dragged on, it only served to make the walls of the school feel like they were closing in on Theo. He was a normally private young man, but now it seemed as if there was nowhere to go where he could just be alone with his thoughts. Many of the boys from Durmstrang had taken to sitting with the Slytherins at lunch, their broad shoulders crowding everyone out, while the girls jostled for position to talk to the foreign invaders.

But, when he finally heard about the Yule Ball, he felt that it might actually make up for some of the annoyance he'd felt over the past few months.

He knew most of the boys in his year were not really looking forward to bucking up and asking a girl to be their dates. It would be their first real shot at rejection, and he knew that none of them were looking forward to having to make the first move, let alone just _deciding_ who it was that they actually wanted to ask.

Luckily for Theo, he knew the perfect girl to ask. There was no one else he even thought about asking.

He found Daphne alone in the library one afternoon and figured that it was as good a time as any to ask her. He wasn't going to wait until the last minute to ask her as some kind of after thought. He wanted to show her that he wanted to go with _her_ , and not just because they were destined for one another in the end. It would be a good chance to show her what life with him could be like when they inevitably tied the knot. Just because their parents had selected who they would marry did not mean that they couldn't get along and enjoy the company of one another.

"Hey Daph," he said, quietly, alerting her to his presence. He was momentarily struck by the pretty blonde color of her hair in the afternoon sunlight, having grown into a golden, honey blonde. "Do you have a minute?"

Daphne nibbled on the end of her quill, inevitably smudging some of the pink lipstick that she'd started wearing, drawing his attention to her mouth. Salazar, he wondered what it would be like to actually _kiss_ her. "Sure, Theo," she answered, sounding hesitant and on edge.

He pulled out the chair opposite of her, before slipping into the spot. He grimaced when their knees bumped under the table, cursing his long legs, which always seemed to be getting in the way. "I was wondering, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?" he asked, not hesitating over the words, knowing that it was almost an impossibility that she would turn him down.

But then, the frown on her face grew larger, and Theo could feel his stomach sinking. "I'm sorry, Theo," she said, her eyes dropping to the parchment in front of her. "I've already agreed to go with a boy from Durmstrang." She was winding a strand of her long hair around her fingers, anything to keep the focus of his disappointed look.

Suddenly, Theo was filled with irritation, wondering just how she'd managed to get a boy from Durmstrang to ask her, and why she would have agreed when she knew that she was betrothed to _him_. "Oh," he answered simply, unable to put into words how he was feeling.

"Theo," Daphne started, before reaching her hand across the table to give his a squeeze.

He pulled it out of her grasp, unwilling to be comforted.

"I _am_ sorry," she tried again, sounding sullen. "But surely you understand. We have to get married someday soon, _yes_ , but I don't see why that means that we can't have a little bit of fun now."

"I thought that it might be nice to go together," Theo said, slowly, feeling a knot pulling tighter in his throat, while he tried to get a hold of his emotions. "To see if we could even _have_ fun together." His eyes darted up to her face, only to see guilt reflected in her eyes. _Good_ , he thought to himself, stubbornly.

Daphne huffed then. "Doesn't it ever make you mad?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "That you've have all of your choice in the matter taken away? We should be able to decide who we want to date, who we want our first kiss to be, and instead, our parents have taken that out of our hands. It makes me mad."

Theo thought over her words, remembering how upset he'd been when his father had first told him that he was going to marry Daphne and that his mother had arranged it. He'd been so angry to know that he was resigned to a loveless marriage. But, in the intervening years, he'd allowed himself to hope. He dared to believe that his mother - his wonderful, beautiful mother, who would have done anything for him - had seen something that he couldn't see as a child. He'd promised himself that he would at least try with Daphne, if only for the memory of his mum.

"Sometimes," he finally agreed, locking eyes with her. "But, as the years have gone on, it's been easier to accept."

Would Daphne ever learn to accept it, he wondered? He didn't want the sort of marriage that his mother and father had. But it seemed more and more like he was destined for a wife who wanted nothing to do with him.

"Well, I hope that you have fun with your date, then," he said, knowing that their conversation had run it's course. He stood up from the table, not giving into the pleading look that Daphne sent his way, not wanting to do anything to assuage her guilt. If she felt sorry about agreeing to go to the dance with someone else, he wasn't going to be the one to tell her it was okay.

But, if she was going to have a bit of fun while they were at school, there was no reason why he couldn't do the same.

...

Theo walked into the Great Hall, decorated beautifully for the Yule Ball, with a pretty brunette on his arm. Impressed, he thought that Hogwarts had really outdone themselves.

In the end, he'd asked Lisa Turpin to go to the dance with him. Lisa was a Ravenclaw who he shared several classes with, most notably Ancient Runes. Always a bit shy, Theo found a kindred spirit in the half-blood girl. She was surprised to be asked, and if she knew that he'd been turned down by one of the prettiest girls in school before asking her, she didn't mention it. Theo didn't think that Daphne was shouting from the rooftops the fact that _Theo Nott_ had nearly been her date.

Lisa wore cerulean blue robes and a bright smile that had him smiling fondly at her. He'd already told her that she looked lovely once, but he felt compelled to tell her again. "You really do look pretty, Lisa," he said, a blush on his cheeks when he realized just how little experience he had with the opposite sex.

"Thank you, Theo," she answered, with a blush of her own, her eyes darting down to where their arms remained linked.

"Would you like to sit at one of the tables for dinner?" he asked, knowing that they would have their pick of the lot right now.

Lisa shook her head, brown hair in an artful updo. "Not yet," she said, after a moment of consideration. "I think that the champions will be entering soon, and I'd like to watch."

Agreeing, Theo lead them to the edge of the circle that was forming around the dance floor, waiting for the four champions and their dates to come in. Across the open dance floor, he caught sight of Daphne, who was laughing at something her own date said. She was wearing a set of pearlescent white robes, showing off a figure that had more than one boy leering at her. Her blonde hair was curled and tousled, making her looks effortless and...breathtaking.

She must have sensed eyes on her, staring at her, because she turned and immediately locked eyes with him. Theo could feel his heart thudding against his ribcage, when he watched her smile fall and her eyes narrow when she caught sight of Lisa Turpin at his side.

Before anything more significant could happen, though, the doors to the Great Hall were opening once more, and the champions were spilling inside, and there were more interesting people to keep his attention. Roger Davies had somehow managed to bring Fleur Delacour, which seemed like a coup for Hogwarts. But then he realized that Viktor Krum was accompanied by Hermione Granger, who was far too beautiful by half. Unwittingly, his eyes found Draco's face in the crowd, and he was staring at her a bit slack-jawed, no doubt perplexed that a muggleborn like Granger could clean up so well.

"Hermione looks so gorgeous," Lisa whispered next to him.

Absently, he nodded. "Are you friends with her?" he asked, never one to socialize with Gryffindor.

Lisa made a noise of agreement. "Yes, we have arithmancy together. Not friends, exactly, but we are friendly."

"I'm surprised to see her with Krum and not with Potter or Weasley," he commented, as he watched Krum lift her in the air and spin her around.

"Didn't you hear?" Lisa asked, giving a scandalized gasp. Before long, she was filling him in on all the drama between Granger and Weasley and how she'd turned him down in front of everyone for only viewing her as a last resort. He didn't really care what the three friends got up to, but he did feel a bit offended on Granger's behalf, that Weasley should be such an idiot as to ask her in the way that he had.

He wondered if Daphne knew the gossip, and if she appreciated the fact that he hadn't only asked her out of obligation, but instead because he _wanted_ to go with her.

Shaking his head, he knew that it was no good to dwell on what Daphne thought about him or his intentions, at least not at the Ball. It wasn't fair to Lisa for him to be moping over another girl all night. Even if the other girl was currently pressing her hair to some broad-shouldered Bulgarian.

Pressing his hand to her lower back, Theo lead Lisa away from the dancing and towards one of the tables where they would eat dinner. It didn't take long for them to be joined by Blaise and Tracey, and then Draco and Pansy. Pansy looked very put out, and kept smacking Draco's arm every time his eyes wandered over to where Granger stood, laughing with Krum.

Lisa turned out to be excellent company. While he'd always known that she was smart - you had to be if you ended up in Ravenclaw - he found that he liked her careful and measured responses to his questions. He was surprised to learn that she was intending to go into Magical Law, wanting to become a barrister. She seemed far too shy to do that, if he was honest, but he was sure that over time, she would gain her voice with training. She had the logic skills for it.

Similarly, she was surprised to hear that he wanted to find a job at the Ministry himself, maybe as a curse breaker. "Well, of course, you're taking the courses for it," she said, reflexively trying to tuck a bit of hair behind her ear, even though it was all pulled back. A habit, he supposed. "I guess I just thought...you'd find Ministerial work _beneath_ you."

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning his head to the side. Theo never thought that he gave the impression that he thought he was better than anyone else, not like Draco who was constantly looking down his nose at everyone at Hogwarts.

"Well, it's not something you pureblood types ever seem to do," she said, her cheeks going a bit pink once again. "Most of you seem content to skate by on your family name, maybe taking up a spot at the Wizengamot. Isn't that what your father does?"

Theo bristled at mention of his father, and he knew that it was true. If his father even caught wind that he had the sort of ambitions that he did, Alfred Nott would put an end to them immediately. His father _did_ think that Ministerial work was beneath him. Not wanting to talk about his father any longer, Theo held out his hand to the Ravenclaw. "Shall we go have a couple of dances?" he asked. There were enough people on the dance floor now that he didn't think they would merit any particular notice.

Nodding enthusiastically, Lisa took his hand and led him out to the dance floor.

Unfortunately, Lisa was a much less better dancer than she was a conversationalist. It seemed that she was apologizing for stepping on his toes every thirty seconds. Theo was having a good time though, enjoying the music - a blend of the traditional and the modern. It was nice to let loose every once in a while at school.

He was surprised to feel a furious tap on his shoulder, and he turned around, only to come face to face with a flushed looking Daphne. "Can I talk to you in private, Theo?" she nearly demanded.

His eyes widened at her request, but he nodded anything. "Of course," he agreed. Belatedly, he remembered Lisa Turpin and gave her an apologetic look. "Lisa, why don't you get us some punch? I'll meet you back at our table in just a couple of minutes." Looking crestfallen, Lisa agreed.

Daphne took him by the hand, and Theo tried not to stare at their joined hands too much. She led him out of the Great Hall to where a little rose garden had been set up so that students could cool off. Once she'd found them a private little alcove, Theo pulled out his wand so that he could cast a warming charm, seeing that Daphne was already trembling from the cold.

She looked at him with lips parted and glassy eyes, while she tried to put into words what she wanted to say. "How could you ask Lisa Turpin to the dance?" she demanded finally, crossing her arms over her chest. In her white robes, she looked almost like some vengeful goddess or patron saint of jealousy.

Theo reeled back. "I didn't know that you _cared_ who I would take to the dance," he said, cautiously, feeling irritated, but not wanting to upset her further. "Lisa and I share a lot of classes. She's nice."

"She's a _half-blood_ ," Daphne accused with a sneer. "Do you even _realize_ how poorly this will reflect on me?"

He snorted in surprise. He'd never taken Daphne for one who really gave a shit about blood purity, but perhaps he'd judged her wrong. The Greengrasses were neutral, if only for the purposes that it let them play with both sides. "Oh, that's _rich_ coming from you, Daph," he argued back, annoyed. "You are the one who decided to go with some Bulgarian. If you cared about who I was going to go with, you could have just agreed to do with me."

"I don't need your permission to go to a dance with someone else," she slurred, swaying a bit on her feet, and Theo realized that she had been drinking.

"And neither do I!" he nearly shouted back, hating how unfair Daphne was being about this. "Or was your whole speech about having fun before we got married a load of shit?" he asked. Seeing her flush, the puzzle pieces began to fit into place. "No, you just thought that it only applied to _you_ , and I would sit here like a good little boy and wait patiently for _my turn_ with you."

Daphne flushed at his accusation. "I am _not_ a ride, Theo," she argued angrily, her nostrils flaring. Unfolding her arms, she used her fists to pound against his chest.

Theo grabbed both of her hands in his, fighting off her futile attack. "Daphne, you're drunk," he said simply. He wasn't judging her, of course - he and the other boys had all taken long pulls of firewhiskey while they were getting ready, hoping to get a pleasant buzz, but all it had left Theo with was an uncomfortable burning in his belly. "Maybe you should ask your Durmstranger to drop you off at the Common Room before you do something that you'll regret."

Daphne snarled at him, pulling her hands back from him. "Who are you to tell me what to do, Theo Nott?"

He rolled her eyes, and let her walk away from him on unsteady feet. "Just your future husband," he said to himself, quietly, wondering if this was what his future looked like. He waited there for a few minutes to collect his thoughts before he had to go back to Lisa Turpin.

He watched as Granger and Krum came out from around the corner, giggling and flushed, and he wondered bitterly how she could be so happy.

Shaking his head, he returned to the dance. Lisa Turpin was waiting by the table, with a glass of punch waiting in her hand. She didn't ask him what Daphne had wanted with him, and he was glad, because he didn't have an answer for her. "Careful, I think that the Weasley Twins might have spiked it," she whispered into his ear, her hot breath making him shiver.

Theo didn't care, though, and he drank it all in one go, hoping that he could forget the whole conversation with Daphne.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so glad that you guys are enjoying this - there really aren't that many of you reading, but just know that I treasure each and every one of you. This chapter jumps ahead to year six and features our favorite Gryffindor, finally. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter five and be on the lookout for chapter six next week!

* * *

The summer before Theo's sixth year of Hogwarts had ended up being far more eventful than he ever could have imagined.

It wasn't as if he was _surprised_ that his father had been arrested for breaking into the Department of Mysteries, acting under the Dark Lord's orders, but it was entirely another thing to be left completely alone. Initially, he'd thought that the Ministry might try to pull him from his ancestral home, on account of him not quite being of age yet, but in the end, he was just as forgotten as he always was. He could take care of himself.

Still, it was odd to be left to his own devices all summer, having free reign of the house, just him and Boots. He still spent most of his time in his own room, but he had pulled his mother's record player out of her room and into his, so that he could listen to the melancholy melodies at any opportunity.

He was lucky that Ella Greengrass had written him to offer to collect him prior to September 1st, because otherwise he would have no method of getting to the Hogwarts Express. She showed up alone, and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Daphne and Astoria are headed to the station with their father," she explained. "Do you have your trunk ready?"

Theo had nodded silently, and allowed the pretty woman who would one day be his mother-in-law to side-along apparate him to Kings Cross. Daphne and Astoria were waiting there for him, sitting on their trunks. His future bride had her arms cross over her chest and resolutely refused to look him in the eye. Gareth Greengrass gave Theo a hard look, as if he were trying to suss out his feelings, before bidding his two daughters goodbye.

Astoria, with her own friends to meet up with, didn't wait around with Theo and Daphne, and instead sprinted off in the direction of the train. "So much for her being underfoot," he joked to Daphne with a grin.

Peering into the train, Theo noticed Draco and Pansy sitting in one of the compartments. He hadn't asked Daphne to sit with him since he was a first year, but perhaps with her friend sitting with them, she might decide to join him. Things between him and Daphne had been... _cool_ ever since the Yule Ball. She wasn't overtly hostile to him, but it wasn't as if they got on with one another either. Still, he was reminded that their eventual wedding was growing closer and closer with each subsequent school year. Theo still wanted to have a good marriage with her, and so he knew that it meant going out on a limb sometimes.

Turning to look at her, Theo felt his eyes dip to her lips, which were now painted with a dark red lipstick, much more dramatic than the pink she'd worn before. Rubbing his hand along the back of his neck, he decided that he should just ask her to sit with them. "Say, do you want to come sit in my compartment? It looks like Pansy's sitting with Draco now," he asked, holding his breath for an answer.

Daphne snorted in response. "No thank you," she said with a frown. "I don't want to sit with someone who is almost assuredly a Death Eater."

For a moment, Theo thought that she might be speaking about him, before realized that she was actually talking about Draco. It was no secret to the wizarding world what role Lucius Malfoy had played, and Theo wondered how Draco was taking it. He still remembered the little boy who so looked up to his father. And with an Aunt like Bellatrix Lestrange, it seemed conceivable that Draco was already a Death Eater, though Theo wasn't sure.

Still, he was stunned by the sentiment that Daphne had, but ultimately, he knew that she was desperately concerned for her appearance to other people. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Feeling unnecessarily defensive, he frowned at her. "Just forget that I even asked," he said, before leaving her to lug her own trunk on the platform.

Unfortunately for Theo, the talk of Death Eaters wasn't done with Daphne. Blaise breezed into the compartment after the train had already left the station with a smarmy grin on his face. "Sorry I'm late, I was waylaid by our new Potions master - Slughorn."

"What happened to Snape?" Theo asked, feeling a bit alarmed. He didn't like Snape particularly, but it would have been nice to know if they'd gotten a new Head of House over the summer.

"He's taken the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts," Draco said, his face looking unusually pale. "It's the job that he's always wanted, so I dare say that he jumped at the chance."

"Well, what did Slughorn want with _you_?" Pansy asked, sounding accusatory, as if Blaise wasn't anyone to be bothered with.

It played right into the arrogant boy's hands. "Well, he just wanted to let me know about a club he's putting together - you know, for the best and brightest...an influential few students," Blaise answered, watching as Pansy twisted uncomfortably in her seat, aware that she had been looked over. "He asked about your father, too, Theo. I guess he taught him while he was in school."

"He's older than Theo's father?" Pansy sneered, waiting for a laugh that never came.

"But, he didn't seem too pleased to hear about his involvement with...well, you know," Blaise added, before realizing how it seemed like he was singling out Theo. "Same with Draco."

However, it didn't matter to Theo to be grouped in with Malfoy. The pain of being pre-judged simply by who his father was made his stomach twist uncomfortably. He wondered if there would ever be a time where someone would see him as his own individual person, and not the little carbon copy of Alfred Nott that they seemed to think he was.

He didn't speak for the rest of the train ride.

...

Daphne wrapped her Slytherin scarf around her a bit tighter, wondering where autumn had gone. Already it was nearly unbearable to make the short walk back from the greenhouses to the castle due to the wintery air. Her warming charms were excellent, but she never seemed able to protect the tip of her nose from the blustering wind.

She'd been off at the greenhouses, trying to finish up a project for herbology that she hadn't quite managed while she was in class. It had been lonely, seeing as the only other occupant of the greenhouse had been Neville Longbottom, who turned into a sputtering and blushing mess every time she got within five feet of him. It was ridiculous, really, but she supposed that Longbottom didn't have many opportunities to socialize with girls outside of Weasley and Granger. It was a shame, because he was beginning to have the look of a very attractive wizard.

The walk was lonely and long, her blonde hair wiping in the wind. That was, of course, until she heard someone calling her name from the Quidditch pitch. "Hey Greengrass! Come over here," beckoned the voice.

Narrowing her eyes, she saw that it was Cassius Warrington, one of the seventh year chasers for Slytherin. Biting her lip, she decided that she wanted to see what it was that he needed. Changing course, she walked towards the stands where Cassius was touching down with his wand. "Yes, Warrington?" she asked, her light green eyes taking in his wind swept hair and dashing good looks. He was all tall and broad muscle, seeming almost impossible that he was just a school boy still, and not a man.

"Zabini told us - Urquhart and me - that the Notts have already signed a betrothal contract for you," he said, resting his back against the stands, making no secret that he was drinking in her form - long legs kept warm by knee socks.

Daphne flushed under his perusal, still not used to the lingering looks that the boys at the school gave her. She wasn't blind to the young woman that she saw in the mirror. Daphne knew that she'd grown only more exceedingly beautiful than she'd been as a child, when she stopped wearing her hair in such tight, unforgiving plaits. Now, she hoped that she seemed confident, sexy and poised with the makeup that she'd begun to wear. It wasn't vain, she thought, to want to be appreciated for one of her assets.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she smirked when she saw Warrington's eyes go to her breasts. "What's it to you, Warrington?" she asked, meanwhile cursing Blaise Zabini and his big fat mouth. Her and Theo's secret had gone unrecognized for the past six years, but now that Blaise wanted to gossip about it, it seemed that the whole school would know the truth soon enough. She was embarrassed to be the only engaged girl in the whole school, especially since she didn't think much about her future groom.

Warrington pushed himself off of the wall, and closed the gap in between them. His fingers caught a piece of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. " _Fuck_ , Daphne, you are _wasted_ on Nott," he said, his voice filled with regret.

Daphne felt a zing of pleasure wriggle down her spine at his words, loving the praise he was giving her. Looking up at him through sooty lashes, she stepped closer to him, until their chests were nearly touching. "What's that supposed to mean, _Cassius_?" she asked, licking her lower lip. From the way that his eyelids fluttered for a moment, she knew that she was having an effect on Cassius, and she loved the powerful feeling that it gave her.

"Just that a wizard like Nott will never be able to appreciate what a hot witch you are," he explained. "He's a quiet nerd, always lurking around. The thought that he gets to be the one to touch you..." he trailed off, while his hand came to the curve of her waist.

Daphne nearly squeaked at the possessive way that Cassius was handling her. Internally, she was filled with frustration once again that she didn't get to do as she liked with her own life. She didn't want to marry Theo, either, and Cassius was really giving her such a pretty picture of her life could be like if she wasn't being held back by him. "Well," she said with a smirk. "Theo and I aren't married _yet."_

Cassius returned the smirk, pulling her until she was flush with him. He spun them around, until her back was pressed against the Quidditch stands, unabashedly pressing his body against hers, his thigh pressed between her legs. "I like the sound of that, Greengrass," he purred into her ear.

Without giving her time to think about it, Cassius slanted his lips against hers. His tongue parted her lips easily, slipping into her mouth, threatening to consume her. Daphne moaned into his mouth, delighted when his fingers worked their way into her long blonde locks, holding her against him just how he wanted. She'd never been kissed so thoroughly in her life, and she felt that all she could do was to wrap her arms around his neck, holding onto him as if he was a life preserver in a tumultuous ocean.

Her belly twisted in desire as she kissed him back. Her lipstick was smearing against his lips, and Daphne could feel her toes curled as she left her mark on her handsome schoolmate. For the life of her, she couldn't even begin to feel bad about what she was doing, even though she knew that it was a terrible idea.

...

Theo threw another half-rotten apple at the skeletal animals that were his only company, watching with vaguely amused eyes as the foal wobbled over to take the first bite. Taking another swig of the firewhiskey from the flask he'd smuggled into Hogwarts, Theo wondered when he'd grown so pathetic that the thestrals were the only company worth keeping.

Sixth year had gone from bad to worse. Most of his classmates were wary of him, now that it was no secret that his father was a Death Eater who was imprisoned in Azkaban. No one ever asked if he agreed with his father's beliefs, it was just _assumed_ that he would. The only other person who might understand what he was going through - Draco - was sullen and withdrawn from his classmates, so Theo didn't even have his best friend to lean on. A flash of the inky blackness on Draco's arm in the dorms had explained _that_.

Letting the burn of the firewhiskey keep him warm from the wintery air, Theo cast a warming charm on the rock he was sitting on, not enjoying the feel of the cold radiating through his school robes.

He was suddenly startled by the sound of footsteps approaching. Before he was able to make himself scarce, Hermione Granger was bursting through the bushes, wiping away tears from her cheeks. She stilled immediately upon seeing him, sucking in a deep breath of cold air. "Nott? What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding bewildered.

Theo was surprised that she even knew who he was. Waving the flask in the air, he didn't even care if Prefect Granger took house points away from him. "Wallowing in self-pity," he sneered at her, feeling alone and uncomfortable. He'd come down here after confronting Slughorn about not being included in the Slug Club. Being told that it was due to his father's allegiances had been too much for him to bear in the claustrophobic castle. "I could ask you the same thing."

Granger jutted her chin out at him, projecting a bossy air about herself. "I-" she started to answer, only to cut herself off almost immediately. "I suppose there is no point in lying to you. Hiding from Ron and his new _girlfriend_ ," she said bitterly. "What about you?"

She crossed the small clearing, and moved to sit next to him on the rock. Theo could feel his pulse quicken, unsure of how he should act around Gryffindor's golden girl. He was disappointed to hear that she _actually_ liked Weasley. Of course, anyone with eyes could see the way she mooned over him, but Theo had hoped that she would be smarter than to seriously want him. He took another swig out of the flask, biding time. If she was honest with him, he supposed that he could share the truth as well. "Oh, just realizing that the shadow I live in looms too large to escape out from underneath of," he said, looking down at their feet. "Slughorn won't have anything to do with me because of my father."

"Oh," she said, sounding surprised. He was once again disappointed in her, for assuming that he _wanted_ to be a little Alfred Nott miniature, just like everyone else. "You can see them, too, then? The thestrals?" she asked, her eyes trained on the unusual creatures.

"Yes," Theo answered simply. It was odd, to sit here with Granger as though they were friends, when they had never even spoken two words to one another before. But, at the same time, her presence seemed to do more for his mood than anyone else could have. He held out the flask, offering the firewhiskey to her. "Want some?"

To his surprise, Granger took it. Giving it a delicate sniff, she took a small drink, uncaring that she was sharing a drink with the son of a Death Eater. His chest grew warm as Theo realized she was making him feel _normal_ for a change. "I couldn't see them until...well, the battle at the Department of Mysteries last year," Granger said, biting her lower lip, as she seemed to understand that it was a delicate topic.

Theo wondered if she'd faced down his father.

"Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius Black, and then...now I can see them. Who-" Granger wet her lower lip, while she thought over her next words carefully. She kept her brown eyes determined on the thestrals before them, as though she wanted to give him some privacy. "Who did you see?"

He let his eyes slip shut as he wondered if he should just tell her the truth. Theo was positive that she would get the truth if she asked anyone. Sometimes it seemed like an open secret about what had happened. "My mum," he said quietly, taking the flask back from her. He played with the lid, screwing and unscrewing it. "My father killed her when I was eight. I tried to stop him, but I was just too little."

Granger gasped beside him, turning her body so that she was facing him completely. Her hand darted out and squeezed his knee in comfort. "Oh Merlin, Theo," she whispered, using his given name, to his surprise. "I had no idea. That's so _awful_. But how...that is to say...I would have expected him to...couldn't you tell the aurors what had happened to her?"

Theo laughed a bitter, depressed laugh, before shaking his head. "Granger, my father is a very _important_ person in the Wizengamot," he explained, remembering that she was just a muggleborn and she didn't know quite how the Ministry worked yet. "They would never take my word over his. As far as the record is concerned, my mum fell down the stairs. Though, everyone knows what really happened."

She made a little noise of disapproval, before shaking her head. "It's so wrong, the way the wizarding world acts sometimes," she told him. She pulled her hand away from him, only to wrap her arms around her legs, trying to get warm. His knee still tingled where she'd touched him.

They didn't talk anymore after that, instead just sitting next to one another in silence, taking comfort that, for a little while at least, they weren't alone.

...

By the time that spring term had rolled around, things only seemed to have gotten worse. Everyone was growing more distrustful as more disappearances were reported in the Daily Prophet, and no one was deaf to the frequent whispers that this was just like the last time. The Dark Lord was back, and he was planning something big, and no one could stop him except for a silly little boy in Gryffindor.

Theo hated that the one person they were meant to put their faith in was Harry Potter. At the moment, he didn't have much faith at all.

Draco grew more and more withdrawn since Potter had attacked him. Theo felt anger that it was being swept under the rug, but for once Draco didn't seem keen to use his influence and family name to get Potter rightfully punished. Instead, the bags under his eyes grew darks and he grew more paranoid, pushing _all_ of his friends away from him, even Crabbe and Goyle. Growing concerned, Theo had tried to talk to him several times, but was rebuffed all the same.

Daphne was avoiding him at every turn, but it wasn't until one boring afternoon that he finally found out why. Theo had been walking towards the library after dinner, taking all of his favorite, little known shortcuts. So, he was surprised when he heard movement up around the corner. Unable to hide his curiosity, Theo kept his footsteps light, hoping to keep whoever it was unaware.

Only the sight that greeted him made him wish that he hadn't been quite so sneaky.

There, pressed up against the stone wall of the corridor, was none other than Daphne Greengrass, with her arms wrapped around Cassius Warrington's neck. He had her a hold of her leg, wrapping it around his waist, and he was grinding his hips into her without finesse. They were kissing one another as if their lives depended on it, clutching at one another.

He _must_ have made a noise to alert them to his presence, because surely they were too wrapped up in one another to notice him otherwise. Daphne broke the kiss and looked around with wild eyes, her dark lipstick smeared around her mouth obscenely. She locked eyes with him for a moment, and Theo was sure that he saw a flicker of guilt in those green eyes.

But, he wasn't going to let her assuage that guilt. Feeling anger boil up inside of him, Theo stalked right past them, not bothering to stop. He wouldn't let Daphne see how much it bothered him.

Which, _fuck_ , why did it even bother him so much?

It wasn't as if he were _in love_ with Daphne - you had to actually get to know one another to do that. He wasn't unaffected by her good looks, of course, having had more than one dream about the woman he was due to marry. Theo was angry that he'd gone out of his way to be accomodating and friendly to Daphne, wanting to prove to her that they weren't doomed to unhappiness, only to have her throw it back in his face at every turn.

He wasn't stupid. It wasn't as if he was expecting some romance for the ages between himself and Daphne, but he'd hoped that they could grow to be friends. Or, in the very least, have an equal partnership, because they were going to get married one way or another.

But now, he was realizing that Daphne just _didn't_ like him. Otherwise, he was certain that she would never do all the hurtful things that she did. They were doomed to a lifetime of unhappiness.

Fists clenching at his sides, Theo started to wonder if it really was as dire as it seemed. After all, they were only doomed if they ended up getting married. Neither one of them wanted that, but it was the betrothal contract that demanded it. He'd never considered that there might be a way that he could void the contract. Then he could release Daphne to be with whoever she wanted - Warrington or the whole fucking Slytherin Quidditch squad.

He didn't know much about wizarding contracts, despite having grown up in a wizarding household. However, he knew someone who would be able to help. He stalked off in the direction of the library, heading towards the back where he knew he'd find Granger.

Once he'd located the Gryffindor, he slid into the spot opposite her. "Granger, I was wondering if you could help me with a personal project?" he asked, hoping that she would see him as another little underdog pet project like freeing the house elves or rescuing condemned hippogriffs.

Her brown eyes widened in surprise at seeing him, but she was on the edge of her seat as soon as he asked. "I'm all ears, Nott," she teased.

With her agreement, the whole story came pouring out of his mouth, about how his mum had managed to create a betrothal between him and Daphne when they were only seven, but how he didn't think that the pair of them would work out. Embarrassed, he left out the part about him catching Daphne and Warrington in the hallway. He watched as she grew more and more offended on his behalf, having his free will in choice of life partner taken away. Then he explained that he wanted out of it, by any means necessary.

Reaching across the table, Granger gave his hand a little squeeze. She tried to give him an encouraging smile. "Of course I'll help you, Theo," she agreed brightly. "I find that the library is the best place to start in these situations. Let's go look for some useful books. If we divide up the reading, we should get through it twice as fast."

Feeling a small glimmer of hope forming in his chest, Theo agreed happily.

...

Sixth year had ended in spectacular fashion.

Theo couldn't even believe that Draco had _actually_ been involved in the death of Albus Dumbledore, having believed that his old friend was far too cowardly to really go through with it. Even more unbelievable was that it was actually Snape who had done the old Headmaster in.

When he learned that there had been Death Eaters in the castle - Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback - he quickly realized that they had been freed or broken out of Azkaban. Theo had figured it was safe to assume that his father would have been freed as well. As dubious as the honor was, his father was a close associate of the Dark Lord, the only remaining original follower from their school days together.

So, Theo wasn't exactly surprised when his father was waiting for him at home. Theo had passed his apparition exam earlier in the year and took the opportunity to apparate directly back from the train station, not wanting to have to talk to the Greengrasses with their mistrustful looks again. He apparated directly to the entrance hall of Nott manor and found his father waiting there for him.

"I see you've done just fine for yourself on your own," he said in his gruff voice. "Better than I expected."

Theo did not let his father's words affect him. He knew that his father thought little of him, but he had never cared what his father thought of him, not for a long time. "Well, you do what you have to do," Theo said, letting his trunk fall with a heavy thunk, echoing through the empty home.

He looked over his father warily. While the man certainly tried to project an air of strength and vitality, Theo had been living with his father for long enough to realize that he was not well. The months in Azkaban seemed to have settled into his father's ancient bones, leaving him slightly hunched and oddly delicate. He had dark bags underneath his eyes that only served to make him look haunted, tired. Theo resisted the impulse to ask his father if it was worth it, doing as the Dark Lord said, only to end up in a dank prison cell, with your mind repeatedly tormented by the dementors. He knew better than to do that.

His father beckoned him with one gnarled finger and Theo followed dutifully, leaving his trunk for the house elf to deal with. They made the short walk to the study in silence. The teenager did not wait for his father to offer him a drink, instead walking to the decanter of firewhiskey with purpose, pouring himself several fingers. He would need the extra fortification to ask what he was about to.

Theo could still remember the sorry look on Hermione Granger's face when their weeks of research had come up empty. It seemed that the only possible option to dissolving the marriage contract with Daphne would be to get his father and Daphne's parents to agree to it. He was certain that the Greengrasses would do anything should Daphne ask for it, but his father was a whole different story. There was nothing else to do but ask.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," Theo asked, hating the way that his voice already trembled.

"If you are going to ask me something, boy, at least turn and face me like a man," his father barked from his place on the settee.

Theo turned around, agonizingly slow, before he finally faced the man who held his fate in his hands. "I want to dissolve the betrothal between myself and Daphne Greengrass," Theo said quietly. "She and I...we don't get along and well, I don't want the both of us to be miserable in a marriage that neither of us want."

"You think that I got along with your mother?" his father asked, disgust in his voice. "I don't care if you hate the Greengrass bitch, you will do as you are told, because it's what's best for our family."

The younger man felt his blood beginning to boil, hating the cavalier way that his father dismissed what he'd done. "Oh, I know perfectly well that you and mother _didn't get along_ ," Theo sneered back at him. "And, that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. A repeat of your doomed marriage."

"How dare you speak that way to me, boy," his father answered back, growing more upset. He stood from the couch, leaning heavily on a cane before edging towards where Theo was standing. "You have too much of your mother in you. Always so worried about yourself, without thinking about _everyone_ involved. I did what I had to do."

"You didn't have to kill her!" Theo shouted back, breathing wildly. It was the first time that he'd ever spoken to his father about what had happened, what he'd seen that fateful day. He could feel the tears on the edge of his eyes and he blinked them back, not wanting his father to know how affected he was.

But it was too late. His father was shaking his head, a sneer on his lips. "You disappoint me, Theodore," he said gravely. "You _will_ marry the Greengrass girl, and I will not hear another word about dissolving betrothal contracts out of you. You will never get my agreement."

Theo could feel his heart sinking at the pronouncement, and he wished that he would have approached the conversation better. Now, his father had dug in his heels and would never agree to make the change, even if Theo could somehow prove that it would be for the good of the family. He wished he wouldn't have lost his temper about his mother.

And now...now he'd sealed a terrible fate for himself, which was sure to be full of agonizing years of Daphne fantasizing that he was literally _anyone_ else. That was, of course, if they didn't all end up dead in the coming war.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so pleased that you are liking this so far. This chapter is when things are going to start to change for Theo and I am really excited to hear what you think about it. You can follow me over on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter six and be on the lookout for chapter seven next week!

* * *

If Theo could thank his father for _one thing_ , it was that he refused to have his son marked before he finished Hogwarts. He knew that it could have been no small sacrifice for his elderly father to stand up to a man who was growing increasingly unstable if the whispers were to be believed. But, Alfred Nott could boast of one thing that no one else could - the Dark Lord _listened_ to him.

And so, Theo was unmarked when he returned to Hogwarts for his seventh year.

It came with the knowledge that he was expected to join the heinous brotherhood that was the Death Eaters upon his graduation. It was a fate that Theo would avoid at all costs, even if it meant...well, he wasn't entirely sure. He'd seen what the pressure of the Dark Lord's tasks had done to Draco, and he didn't fancy the same thing happening to him.

Draco had returned to Hogwarts a shell of his former self. While he should have enjoyed some of the new found benefits of being in the Dark Lord's favor for his role in killing Dumbledore, Draco did not seem to relish it. He cringed away from the people who would congratulate him on his success and the rest of the students and professors were left resenting him, making no secret of the fact, either. Theo tried to speak with him, several times, but he got nothing more than one-word answers and sullen looks from gray eyes ringed by dark circles.

Hogwarts was a completely different landscape when Theo returned for his seventh year, and all he could be certain of was that he hated it. There was no denying that everyone was frightened of the new administration that had swept in unfettered over the summer. Snape was a stern and solemn Headmaster who was openly hated by the staff that had been there previously. The new staff was allowed to run wild, to their heart's content. Theo had head fond stories of Alecto and Amycus Carrow growing up, but meeting them was horrifying.

For once, he wasn't able to just blend into the crowd, shy and unnoticed. They were quick to recognize him as Alfred Nott's boy, and were quick to gush about how much they expected of him. They bemoaned the fact that Slytherin couldn't offer up more than two prefects per year group, but promised if he noticed any _rule breaking_ that he should inform them at once so that they could take care of it.

It had also become glaringly obvious that certain students had not come back to school. At the Welcoming Feast, there had been furious whispers amongst the students and staff when Neville had shouted at one of the Carrows that Harry Potter wasn't there.

Theo wasn't sure why they thought he'd actually show up. They would have to be utterly daft to willingly return, right into the hands of the Dark Lord himself. Even Potter and Weasley weren't likely to make that mistake on their own, but they had Hermione Granger on their side. Theo was positive that Hermione was smart enough to keep her nose clean now, working, wherever she was in the world, to rid the world of the Dark Lord, an outcome he was hopeful would come to pass.

Still, it would have been nice to have Hermione there to talk to.

He hadn't realized it at the time, but in the second term of sixth year, he had grown close to the Gryffindor, while they worked to dissolve the contract between him and Daphne. She had listened patiently to his feelings about the blonde, commiserating, and telling him that he'd done everything he could to have a good relationship with her. It had been...nice, to feel like someone was on his side for once in his life. The first time since his mother had died.

Seeing as Daphne had made her feelings _abundantly_ clear on what she thought of Death Eaters the year before, Theo would not press his presence on her more than was strictly necessary. It didn't matter that he didn't want to become one, the perception that he did was enough to cling to him like a sickness, one that he wouldn't willingly pass along to her. It was no secret that she would become his wife, but he would give her one last year of reprieve, of time to herself, to be young and free and unattached until he had to force himself on her. Until there was no escaping him. Bitterly, Theo wondered if she would _want_ to be seen with him now that the Death Eaters appeared to be the winning side.

So, Theo would try his best to remain unnoticed, not going out of his way to get the praise that some other Slytherins seemed to covet from the Carrows. He would continue to get good marks, but not be first in any of his classes. He would just get through this one last year at Hogwarts and then...he would hope that Potter and his silly friends could figure things out before he was forced to put a Dark Mark on his arm.

Sometimes, in those idle afternoons in September, he would wistfully remember the Yule that he had spent with Daphne in third year, laughing and sharing chocolates with one another. About how he'd imagined some life for them, where they were together and happy. Maybe they didn't love each other, but they were friends, and he was content with that.

Now, now he just felt naive and silly for ever expecting more out of Daphne than a petulant little girl with braids in her hair and her nose in the air. He should have known that there was to be no happy ending for the unhappy son of Alfred Nott.

...

It grew harder to keep his mouth shut as the weeks of the school year went by. Each new teaching method that the Carrows seemed to initiate where implemented. For every student they tortured, there were ten students thinking that _they couldn't do that_ , but there was no one to stand up and put themselves between the Carrows and the first years.

And he wasn't talking about torture in that hyperbolic way that they used to when Professor Binns would request three feet of parchment on some obscure topic. No, the Carrows would literally _torture_ students, using the Cruciatus Curse. The worst was when they made the older students practice unforgivables on the first years themselves. It was sickening, and made Theo's stomach twist in agony, but he'd avoided it so far.

"He's probably got loads of practice from it at home," Alecto cooed the one time. "I suspect Nott could just about give us a master class."

Theo was glad that they didn't ask him to, seeing as he _didn't_ get the practice at home. Once he began being educated at Hogwarts, his father ceased to tutor him, remaining indifferent unless his marks began to drop. It would be, without a doubt, utterly humiliating to fail in front of his classmates and the Carrows, as he knew it was certain to get back to his father. Not to mention that he was glad he wasn't asked to torture anyone because he didn't want to hurt an innocent child.

Privately, he'd implored Draco to go to the Headmaster and beg him to put an end to this madness. "Come on, Draco, you know that Snape will listen to you," Theo had begged, one day after a particularly brutal class. "Besides, your father is _still_ on the Board of Governors. Just tell him about the first years and we can make this stop."

"You know my father is out of favor," Draco snapped back, furious at the weight of the world on his shoulders. "So even if he _wanted_ to do anything about it, it wouldn't be likely to do anything."

It felt awful, but Theo did know what Draco meant.

Still, he forced himself to remain on the sidelines, biting the inside of his cheeks until they were bloody, trying to keep his mouth shut and not draw attention to himself. That was until he came across the Carrows antagonizing Astoria Greengrass in the halls one day, egging her on to just Crucio a little first year. Astoria had tears streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head, refusing to raise her wand, even when they threatened to curse her in place of the first year.

Theo swooped in before he even had the chance to think about it. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, using his considerable height to his advantage for once. Over the years, Theo had grown to tower well over six feet tall, and he stared down now at Amycus Carrow. Sure, Theo was not strong or muscular like a Quidditch player, but the Carrows sure as hell didn't know that.

"You dare question our authority as educators?" Alecto asked, sounding far more sure of herself than her brother did.

Theo sneered at the pair of them. "I'm well within my rights to _question_ you, when you are threatening the daughter of a family in the Sacred Twenty-Eight," he postured. "She deserves more _respect_ than a little mudblood first year. I think that my father would agree with me on this." He hated the vitriol, the vile words that came pouring out of his mouth, but all he could think of was getting Astoria out of this safely.

Amycus was suddenly falling over himself to agree with Theo, not wanting to offend House Nott. It was fair enough, too. The Greengrasses were about to be joined in marriage to the Notts, so torturing Theo's future sister-in-law would not be well regarded.

Theo didn't wait to be dismissed by their _professors_ , and instead swept an arm around Astoria's still shaking shoulders. "Come on, Astoria, let's go," he barked out, flinching when he heard how sharp his voice was. He didn't want to frighten the poor girl anymore than she already was.

Calmly as he could, Theo guided Astoria back through the corridors, down to the Slytherin Common Room where things were safe. When he got her inside, he settled her down on the couch in front of the fireplace. Calling over some nameless girl, he snapped at her. "Go get Daphne, now," he ordered, taking control of the situation, before returning his attention to Astoria.

Astoria looked so small and hopeless on the couch. She was never quite as pretty as her sister, but she was still a crush for many Slytherin boys, with her dark brown hair and huge blue eyes. He was struck with nostalgia when he remembered a different time, when Astoria was content to tromp around in the mud with him, turning her sister's hair green with accidental magic.

"Thank you, Theo," she said between hiccups, trying to gain control over her crying. Everyone knew it was unbecoming of a pureblood girl to go having overly emotional displays in public. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Theo blushed under her thanks and waved her off. "It was nothing. I- We Slytherins need to stick together," he said lamely, wishing that he could just accept the praise for once. "I'll wait here with you until your sister comes down."

She gave him a watery smile and he watched as slowly she relaxed in his presence.

Daphne didn't even look at him when she showed up. Instead, she kept her focus solely on Astoria, wrapping her in a tight hug. The fifth year began crying again, telling Daphne everything that had happened through great, shoulder shaking sobs. Theo watched helplessly as Daphne aided Astoria in standing, ushering her off towards the girls' dorms, their voices growing more and more faint.

...

Yule was spent at Hogwarts.

Theo hadn't even needed to send an owl to his father to request permission. Instead, he received one from his father, telling him that he would be far too busy doing the Dark Lord's work for it to warrant a trip home for Theo. He found the suggestion that he couldn't look after himself for a few days to be a bit insulting, especially considering that he'd lived by himself the summer before his sixth year and got along just fine. It was a bit odd, seeing as this year he thought he might actually like to go home rather than spend another day in this wretched castle.

All the other Slytherins remained behind, too.

He spent his evenings with Draco sitting outside to get away from Crabbe and Goyle. Those two had taken to their newfound ability to bully and torture anyone they didn't like to a new level, trolling the castle at night looking for Gryffindors to harass.

They would sit in front of the Black Lake, staring out at it's frozen surface, while passing a bottle of firewhiskey between the two of them, taking long pulls. It was never enough for them to get drink, more just to put a fire in their bellies and numb the rest of their feelings for a bit. Draco had taken to smoking muggle cigarettes, but Theo couldn't get past the ashy taste and left it to his blond friend.

It hadn't taken the two of them long to stop with the pretenses and admit that they both wished that Potter would win. Draco was far less optimistic about that being a realistic probability. "Who even knows what they are doing out there, wherever they are," he scowled, one evening, putting out his cigarette in the frozen ground next to him, before banishing it away. "Maybe they left the country, went somewhere warm. It'd be the smart thing to do."

Theo made a noise of agreement, thinking that it might be nice to fuck off to some other country, if he could do so without his father's notice. "Nah, I don't think that's likely," he answered, savoring the burn of the firewhiskey in his esophagus. "Potter's too much of a hero to do it. And Granger is too self-righteous to give up now."

His friend snorted in amusement. "Too true, Theo," he laughed. "Fuck, I hope they have a plan though. Because I don't really know what to do if the Dark Lord wins this."

"Probably just try to find _anything_ to be happy about," Theo offered. "At least we won't be the ones getting the brunt of it." He thought about all the little first years, whose first year being exposed to magic was being tortured left and right by their professors. They were supposed to come here to learn and instead they were there to _hurt_. He was not so blind as to not see the extra privileges he got for being pureblood, Slytherin.

Draco shook his head though, his gaze going somewhere far off. "No, it's not like that, Theo," he replied, ominously. "The Dark Lord is...he grows angry every day and he doesn't care who you are if you fail him. The punishments come quick and furious."

Theo wrapped his arms around his legs tighter, swallowing thickly. "I don't know what to do if the year ends and the war's not over," he said quietly, revealing something he hadn't shared with anyone yet. "My father held him off on me getting the mark this summer because he wanted me to focus on my school work. There will be nothing stopping him when we graduate."

"Ask your father if you can get a mastery," Draco offered, taking another swig of the firewhiskey.

Theo laughed, thinking that sounded a bit silly.

"No, I'm serious," Draco added. "Butter him up - your dad's always loved arithmancy, right? Ask if you can get a mastery in Arithmancy. Your father might hold him off again. After all, he will have won, right? So, it won't matter if you take the mark right away or not."

Theo hadn't thought of a plan like that before, but it seemed remarkably simple now. He wasn't certain that his father had that kind of cache with the Dark Lord still, but it was certainly worth a try, wasn't it? "I'll send him an owl," Theo agreed finally. His toes were beginning to go a bit numb from the cold, but he didn't bother with a warming charm, enjoying the reminder that he was still alive.

"Do whatever you can to get out of it," Draco said, after a beat of silence, his hand gripping at his forearm, where his own mark stood out. "Because it's the worst decision I've ever made in my life. Everything that you give him, every ounce of your magic, is never enough. He will always want more."

Theo felt a chill go up his spine and he knew it wasn't from the wintry air. He felt sorry for Draco. "Come on, Draco, it's not like you _chose_ this," he consoled.

Draco frowned and shook his head. "There was a time that I wanted to be _just like_ my father. I would have jumped at the chance to take the mark when I was a second year," he revealed. "And then, when it was _offered_ to me, I could have said no, but I was too much of a coward to do it. It would have been better to let him kill me than to wear his mark."

He wasn't entirely sure what to say back to his housemate, feeling dread settle in his belly. Theo felt entirely helpless, unable to choose the future that he wanted for himself. He just wished that he wasn't relying on other people to determine the outcome of his life.

...

Seventh year had been torture for Daphne Greengrass.

It was no secret that her family had remained neutral in the years between the two wars, wanting to remain on top no matter who was the victor. It was a fact that the Carrows, their new professors from Hell loved to press her about at any chance they got. She grew stubborn, not wanting to give in to their jibes no matter how much that they hurt.

"Greengrass," she heard Amycus Carrow - their Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, although that term was used loosely - shout down the hallway. "Get back here."

Daphne cringed, she'd hoped that she would be able to get out of class without his notice. "What can I help you with, Professor Carrow?" she asked sweetly, though she would kill him if she got the chance.

Carrow looked up and down the corridor, verifying that they were alone for all intents and purposes. Daphne cringed, knowing that all her classmates scurried away from his class, not wanting to be caught in Professor Carrow's web. "I think that I need to make sure that your uniform skirt is to regulation," he answered, before shoving her against the stone wall.

Daphne cried out, feeling his hand slide up her leg, starting at her knee and moving towards her arse, slipping under the fabric of her school skirt. "Stop it!" she demanded. "Let me go, or I'll-"

He shoved her into the wall again. "Or you'll what?" he questioned. "That's what I thought. Now keep your mouth _shut_ like a good girl."

"What the _hell_ is the meaning of these?" a strong voice asked.

Daphne turned to look at her savior, only to be met with the soft blue eyes of Theo Nott. Her heart surged in her chest when she realized that she was safe. She wiggled her way out of Professor Carrow's grasp, before running to Theo's side.

Seeing how _real_ everything had suddenly gotten at Hogwarts made Daphne feel terrible about the way that she'd behaved up until that point. She'd been spoiled, demanding, rude, she'd cared only for herself. The year before when Theo had caught her kissing Cassius, she had laughed. _Good_ , she'd thought to herself, _let him know that I will never feel this way about him_.

Now, she saw her behavior for what it was - petulant and childish. The thought of Cassius, and the things she'd let him do to her, made her burn in shame and embarrassment now.

And Theo had remained so sweet and so steadfast through it all. She'd treated him horribly, and he still tried to make her life better. She knew that he hadn't _asked_ to be married to her, either, that he had no control of the situation, but he tried anyway. She wasn't sure why he would continue to stick his neck out to protect her from the likes of Carrow, who would take whatever he wanted.

"I was just checking Miss Greengrass for a uniform violation," Carrow stammered, looking like a small rat compared to Theo. She was glad that she was not the only one who was frightened of Mister Nott, otherwise she was certain that Carrow wouldn't give a fuck about what Theo said.

Theo's face hardened. "It looked like you were _molesting_ the woman that I am betrothed to," he said, his voice firm. Still, he didn't sound possessive or jealous, like he didn't feel he had a claim over her, which gave Daphne pause. "I wonder why it is, Carrow, that you seem dead set on offending my family?"

Daphne was sure that she'd never heard Theo ever talk that way to anyone before, let alone a professor, but she was happy to have him on her side. She still remembered how Astoria had said that Theo had saved her from Alecto Carrow once before, and it had given her pause. It was nice to know that Theo was looking out for her and her sister, even though he really had no reason to.

Carrow seemed defiant, but eventually caved under Theo's withering glare. "Well, perhaps you should have a word with your betrothed about proper attire and decorum. Her actions reflect on your family now, too," Carrow said, scathingly.

Theo scoffed at the idea. "From now on, you will keep your hands and your eyes off of Daphne," he ordered, leaving no room for argument. "Come on, Daph, let's go," he said finally dismissing the other man, wrapping a tight arm around her shoulders.

Daphne could feel herself melting into Theo's side, enjoying the feeling of shelter that he provided. It was a foreign concept, to be sure, but not unwelcome. Once they had rounded the corner and walked out of sight of the professor, Daphne allowed herself to relax.

"Has he been bothering you? More than just today, I mean," Theo asked, his voice quiet and soft, retreating once again to the gentle and sweet Theo that she knew. He was concerned and upset on her behalf, but she felt safe with his arm around her.

She nodded her head. "Yes, but, this was the farthest it's ever gone," she answered, her cheeks heating in shame, wondering why she allowed Carrow to treat her the way that she did. Mostly, she was just positive that there was no other option. The Death Eaters ran the school, and she was certain that _her_ word meant little to those in charge.

Theo squeezed her shoulder a little tighter, pulling her a little closer. "You have to tell me if he tries anything else," he said after a moment of collecting his thoughts. "Let me lookout for you, Daphne."

"Of course," she agreed, knowing that Theo was actually on her side.

This whole year was making her look at her situation completely differently. She'd always felt as if she'd been saddled with Theo and had lashed out at him because she couldn't get her own way. But, perhaps Theo wasn't as bad as she would have assumed. He obviously still cared for her, even after how terrible she'd been, and that was worth more to her than any secret kiss in a broom closet.

She just hated that it had taken her so long to realize it.

...

To say that he was surprised that Potter, Weasley and Granger had shown up at Hogwarts was an understatement. He never would have expected that they would put the whole school under risk. At the same time, he knew that it meant they must have some purpose for being there.

After Snape fled the castle, having dueled a reluctant McGonagall, all hell seemed to break loose. They were trying to shuffle all the Slytherins down into the dungeons after the stunt that Pansy had pulled - always looking out for her own interests - but there was almost no way to get them to comply. It didn't take a genius to realize that the final battle was due to take place, there at school, and that many people would be fighting, for one side or another.

Theo wasn't about to sit idly by in the dungeons like a good boy, not when he had the chance to affect the outcome of the war. He would do anything to prevent taking the mark. He lost sight of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle almost immediately, but he found Daphne and Astoria easily.

Pulling the two girls out of the stream of students he gave them firm orders to get back to the Common Room. "Go to the girls dorm, and ward the doors if you can. Stick together, and someone will find you when it's over," he ordered, hoping that he could keep them calm and focused.

"Why won't you come with us?" Daphne asked. She looked very worried, and if he wasn't mistaken there were the hint of tears in her eyes. "What if we want to fight with you?"

Theo shook his head resolutely. "The Greengrasses have been neutral all this time. No point in picking a side now," he said with a half-smile. "No one will think any differently of you for protecting yourself."

Daphne looked as if she wanted to argue with him, and for a moment Theo thought about giving her a kiss. So that he might know what it would be like to kiss someone before he went rushing off to his possible death. That would be romantic, wouldn't it? Just like what they always did in the wizarding radio dramas? Then perhaps Daphne would be haunted by the moment, and remember him fondly for the rest of her days, long after he was gone.

Instead, he shook off such fanciful thoughts. "Go now," he urged, knowing that the longer the two sisters waited, the more likely it was that they'd get caught up in the crosshairs. Finally, after a second's more deliberation, Daphne nodded and pulled Astoria in the direction of the Common Room.

Theo stalked the halls, quietly, quickly, before finding an alcove to hide in. He caught his shaking breath easily enough while he wondered over what he should be doing. He didn't need to deliberate over which side he was fighting on, but he wasn't sure how active a participant he should be. His loyalties were sure to be questioned by the _good guys_.

His plan of action was decided for him. It didn't take long for a pair of Death Eaters to run by the quickly emptying corridor. A quick wave of his wand had them petrified and disarmed. Leaving the alcove, he went in search of another one, where he could hide in the shadows and quietly take care of Voldemort's men without detection.

He wasn't sure how long he kept on with his little game of cat and mouse, but eventually the cheers in the castle were loud enough that he was certain something happened. It didn't take long to to find out that Potter and his friends had prevailed.

The Dark Lord was dead.

Theo felt his body flood with relief and he dropped to his knees pressing his hands to his eyes to try to stop himself from crying. Once he'd gathered himself, he made his way to the Great Hall where the wounded and dying were being treated in a makeshift hospital.

It felt surreal to see so many of his classmates killed in battle, feeling his heart break for people that he'd never given a fuck about before, but he needed to know. He stilled when he started to come across the Death Eaters. Unmasked, they didn't seem so frightening anymore. Theo forced himself to keep walking, knowing that he was looking for one person, even though he couldn't quite admit it to himself.

When he found his father, he moved forward like someone under the imperius curse, unable to stop his forward motion. His eyes were closed, his face etched by a permanent grimace, showing his age more than he ever had. With a shaking hand, Theo raised his wand to cast a spell, not daring to wish for a particular outcome.

He felt all of his breath leave him when he first realized that his father was dead. His heart stuttered for a moment when he realized that he was truly alone for once in his life. It was a fate that he had been wishing for since he was just a small child, since his mother was taken from him. But it was something different to actually get what you wanted, rather than just pining for it, and he suddenly felt terribly adrift with nowhere to turn in the world.

Slowly, a hint of joy began to filter into the nothingness. He would have no one to tell him what to do, no one to choose his future for him. He would not have to take the mark, nor would he have to fight for the Dark Lord's cause, a cause that he didn't believe in. Theodore Alfred Nott was his own man for the first time ever.

Except, he remembered with bittersweetness, the chance to dissolve his marriage contract had died with his father.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am really glad that you guys liked the last chapter. It was very pivotal for our couple, that's for sure. You might recognize a bit of this chapter from a bits and pieces drabble that I wrote a while back, so if you are seeing lots of similarities, that's why. I hope that you enjoy this chapter too! You can follow me over on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter seven and be on the lookout for chapter eight next week!

* * *

Theo waited a few weeks after the final battle before even trying to leave the Manor. He knew that everyone was suspicious of him.

It hadn't taken the auror's long to _question_ him when they found him sitting next to his father's body. Theo had gladly agreed to let them peer into his memories, seeing that he had been fighting for the winning side the whole time. The large one - Shacklebolt, he was called - had come back looking suitably impressed with him. He'd told Theo that his calm and measured approach to dealing with the Death Eaters was admirable, a restraint that many other students lacked. The black man had even offered him a slot to test into the auror academy.

The Slytherin had resolutely declined the offer, knowing that he was not likely to make himself any friends there.

As the dreary weather that had been hanging over England ever since the Dark Lord had returned broke revealing sunshine and warmth, the estate of his father was probated and transferred to him as the only remaining member of the House of Nott. Theo had spent his fair share of time in his father's study reviewing all the paperwork related to their accounts, owling back and forth with the goblins of Gringotts. It could be said that Alfred Nott had been a frugal man, and had left his son with more than enough galleons as to never have to work a single day in his life.

He also spent time reading over the betrothal contract with a fine tooth comb, and he finally found a loophole that they could exploit, for a while at least. It wouldn't get them out of it, but it could put off the inevitable for a while longer. Once he was positive of the terms, he'd finally decided to apparate over to see the Greengrasses, one summer afternoon.

Daphne's father did not seem particularly excited to see him walking across their manicured lawn, but did not turn him away. "I was wondering if Daphne was available for tea? I'd like to discuss our future," he asked, as politely as possible.

Before he knew it, he was shuffled away to some little sunroom. Ella had left a tea try for the young couple, with a smile. Daphne sat across from him in a beam of sunlight, looking extraordinarily pretty, with her wide sea green eyes trained on him. Theo bitterly reminded himself that while she might be pretty as a rose, she had the thorns to match.

Taking a swallow of tea from the dainty white cup, Theo finally cleared his throat. "Did you get the invitation from Headmistress McGonagall?" he questioned softly.

Biting her lower lip, Daphne agreed. "Yes, I was surprised to get it," she answered.

Theo had also been surprised to receive an invitation to return to Hogwarts and repeat his seventh year of schooling. McGonagall, the Board of Governors, and the Ministry were all in agreement that the previous year's education had been disjointed and insufficient enough to offer a repeat of classes to whoever should want to attend for another year. If not, students were welcome to take their NEWTs if they wanted.

"I think that we should go back," Theo said suddenly, ready to reveal the plan that he'd concocted in his head over the past weeks. "Since my father died, I was able to review out betrothal contract and it stipulates that we are to be married once we complete our education at Hogwarts. If we return to repeat our seventh year, we would not be required to get married until next summer."

Daphne was quiet for a moment, playing with the spoon she'd used to pour honey into her tea. "Do you want to go back? Don't you worry about what everyone will say?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically small.

Theo frowned. "I stopped caring what people thought of me years ago," he told her honestly. "But I don't want to pressure you to go back if you do not wish to. The contract stipulates that both of us be finished with schooling, so only one of us needs to go back." He let his eyes rove back and forth across her face, looking for any hint of how she was feeling about it. "You could spend the year traveling, if you wanted. And if your parents agreed to it, of course."

She shook her head, before giving him a soft smile. "No, I don't think they would go for that at all," she told him. She took a great sigh while she thought over his words. "It wouldn't feel right to leave Hogwarts after last year. It would feel...incomplete. I'll go back, too."

Theo wasn't sure how he should feel about Daphne returning to school with him. In some ways, he'd written off any hope of them ever having an amicable relationship after everything she'd done to sabotage it. But, perhaps this year would be an opportunity for them to become friends. At least, it would give them another year before they were irrevocably linked. "Good," he answered honestly. "I know a year isn't much, but...at least we don't have to rush into the wedding right after the war."

For a moment, perhaps at the mention of the wedding, Daphne looked as if she'd eaten a lemon. "I am sure my mother would appreciate the additional time to plan," she said finally. "Besides, it seems...wrong, to celebrate a wedding _now_."

He knew exactly what she meant.

"Well, enjoy the rest of your summer," he said, not wanting to stick around longer than was necessary. There was no point in him already overstaying his welcome. He stood from the table and began walking towards the door.

"Theo, wait!" she called after him, breaking his stride.

He turned to look at her. She was standing, with a halo of sunshine around her long hair, giving her the look of some sunkissed angel.

"I just...well, see you in September," she finally bid him goodbye.

...

Despite not wanting to return, Daphne quickly found herself enjoying coming back to Hogwarts to repeat her seventh year. If she was completely honest with herself, it was nice to have one more chance to pretend she was still just a teenager before she had to go out into the real world.

It was really brilliant of Theo to have found a way to exploit their betrothal contract's terms to give them a bit more time before they had to fulfill it. She just wasn't ready to get married, especially not with the year she'd had before. Both herself and Astoria had been through a lot, treated so poorly by the Carrows, that she wasn't ready to give her sister up either. It could have been so much worse, too, if it hadn't been for Theo.

So, she returned to the school, ready to have a relaxing and fulfilling school year. Just because she was unlikely to have a job did not mean that she didn't have aims to get a couple of NEWTs for her time. Someday in the future, there would be children to tutor, and she wanted to prepare them well for their schooling.

And, while she would hit the books and study hard, Daphne also recognized this repeat year as a chance to just hang out with her girlfriends once again. Pansy and Millie had decided to come back, but Tracey had not opted to. There was certainly a shift in the relationship of the trio of girls, but Daphne thought it was for the better. Pansy was nicer and Millie was quieter, but they were undoubtedly better friends, spending their nights up laughing and looking through magazines to help plan Daphne's wedding, which was scheduled to take place in June.

Daphne had also decided to try to make more of an effort with Theo. After all, she realized that he'd been going out of his way to try to be friends with her ever since that first day on the Hogwarts Express, and she'd gone and rebuffed him at every possible chance. Despite how rude she was to him at every turn, Theo had never stopped being sweet and thoughtful to her. Daphne would certainly _never_ forget how he'd stood up for her and Astoria, protecting them from the Carrows. He'd been so brave, it had nearly taken her breath away.

It made her look at him in a new light, and Daphne was forced to admit that Theo had changed a lot in the decade that she'd known him. He'd grown nearly a foot taller than she stood, and there was certainly something handsome about him, even if he didn't have the muscle of a Quidditch player. He was lean and strong, and had the most delightfully long fingers that she liked to daydream about. How would it feel to have those some fingers running through her hair, with her head in his lap in front of the fireplace?

While he wasn't necessarily the man that she would have chosen for herself, she had no reason to believe that she wouldn't have chosen him either. Really, the only strike he'd had against him was her parents picking him out for her. Then, she'd dug in her heels like a spoiled little brat.

But, this was a chance for new beginnings.

Daphne was ready to show Theo that she was willing to be a participant in their relationship. She was a little bit excited to see where the year would take her. It wasn't as if she and Theo could fall in love overnight, of course, but she was certain that they could start out as friends. And then...well, perhaps they could be more than just friends.

...

He wasn't entirely sure when it happened to him, but Theodore Nott found himself head over heels for a girl. Everytime he was with her, his could feel his heart pounding away against chest, so loud that he was sure that she probably could hear it too. His palms would get sweaty and make his quill slip, turning his normally impeccable handwriting into a terrible mess that he was sure his late mum would be horrified to see.

And just who was it that had captured his attention, without even being aware of it? None other than the Gryffindor golden girl herself, Hermione Granger.

She was _perfect_.

Well, she'd always been perfect, since the first day that she walked into Hogwarts. Perfect marks, perfect uniform, perfect life. Everyone in the entire school knew who she was and knew that she was going places since she was eleven. Not like Theo Nott, who had excellent marks himself, excellent breeding, but no one paid him half a mind. No one whispered that Theo Nott was going places, as he was content to just fly below the radar. Anonymous.

And he might have stayed thinking that she was just an annoying swot with a stick up her self-righteous arse, had he never started talking to her in his sixth year. He was annoyed with her for invading his peace and quiet at first, barging into the clearing with the thestrals. Then, he'd found her slightly useful when she helped him dig through magical contract theory. She'd provided him a sliver of hope, though she always made him feel a bit like one of her hopeless causes. He'd thought of her once or twice while she was on the run the year before.

But coming back to school for his eighth year had changed everything.

Of course Hermione Granger had come back to complete her schooling, despite receiving job offers like Potter and Weasley had. He didn't think it was silly, though, knowing that she couldn't leave Hogwarts without _proving_ herself - brightest witch of her age and all that. She'd swept into the school like a maelstrom, proudly telling the Slytherin students that it was time to put the past behind them, and that she hoped they might become friends.

While the rest of them, Draco, Pansy, and Daphne, all seemed to find the sentiment ridiculous and not at all sincere, Theo wanted to give it a shot. His father was dead now and he had no one in his life determining who could and couldn't be his friend. Using the foundations of the previous years to build up on, Theo found himself meeting up with her in the library to study on occasion. They'd even partnered up in Arithmancy for a project.

Theo quickly began to see that she was so much more than he ever thought. Hermione was much more than just a _swot_. She liked kneazles and oranges and she enjoyed a muggle sport called football that Theo actually took the time to learn about, though he would never admit it if he was pressed on it. She revealed to him that she always hated the way that Ron and Harry had counted on her to help with her homework.

She was genuinely interested in him, too. For the first time in his life, Theo wasn't able to just fade into the background. Instead, whenever he was under the gaze of her pretty brown eyes, he felt words pouring out of his mouth, eager to share things about himself. Hermione talked to him about his favorite Quidditch squad, or what he wanted to do after Hogwarts. She didn't _expect_ anything of him.

They became friends.

And that was when he started seeing her through new eyes. Pink lips parted to show off perfectly straight white teeth. Brown eyes that Draco had once described as mudblood brown now seemed more like the sweetest toffee. The sunlight streaming in through the dusty windows of the library shined on light brown, curly hair. Oh _Salazar,_ what he wouldn't give to run his fingers through that wild hair.

He felt his breath catch in his throat whenever she smiled at him.

Theo Nott was head over heels for Hermione Granger.

And it made him feel like dragon shite.

Because he knew that she could never return those feelings. They were destined to remain unrequited.

Hermione had revealed to him one afternoon with quiet, excited whispers that she and Viktor Krum had just resumed their relationship. The Bulgarian _beefcake_ , as he'd once been described in the Daily Prophet, had swept Hermione off of her feet at the Yule Ball in fourth year, and they'd never stopped writing each other. Now that Krum had been traded to a Quidditch squad in England, they had been going on dates in Hogsmeade, but they were trying to keep it quiet, seeing as the press had been so rude to her last time around.

Theo had been absolutely crushed, unreasonably so if he was honest, because there was no way that they ever would have been a couple in the first place. Once he found his voice over the lump in his throat, he'd made a passing comment about how disappointed Weasley must be. Hermione had giggled at that, swatting him on the arm playfully.

It was a silly crush, really. Even if there was no Viktor Krum, or if Theo could somehow gather his courage like a Gryffindor would and tell her how he felt, and by some miracle, she actually felt the same way about him as he felt about her, they was still no way that they could be together. He was in an inescapable magical contract which meant that he would marry Daphne Greengrass in just a few months time. Knowing Hermione, there was no way that she'd ever consent to being his mistress, no matter how much she might like him.

So, instead, Theo would spend his days, knowing that Daphne despised him, and Hermione Granger would only ever see him as a friend, and he would drown in his feelings, unrequited. For the first time in his life he was completely free and so utterly trapped at the same time.

...

Smoothing out her skirt, Daphne checked herself over in the mirror. With her long blonde hair held back in a thick headband, she thought that she looked pretty enough. She'd stopped wearing the dark lipstick that had gotten herself in trouble a few years ago, opting for a more neutral look, though she hoped that Theo's eyes might still be drawn to her lips.

Did he ever think about what it might be like to kiss her, she wondered? He hadn't tried to kiss her, even though she was certain that she would let him if he wanted to. Daphne had spent a fair amount of her time wondering what his lips would feel like on hers.

Deciding that she looked pretty enough to impress him, she headed off to the library. She'd made it a point to try to study with Theo at least once a week in the hopes of getting to know him better. For the most part, he remained stubbornly reticent. She spent most of the time filling the silence talking about herself. It was...odd in a way. She was so used to being chased by boys, but he didn't seem to keen to chase her. Maybe it was because she had showed him that she didn't want to be chased by him.

"Hi Theo," she said, feeling exceptionally shy when she found him in the library. Theo was staring off in the opposite direction, lost in thought. She slipped into the chair opposite him and waited for him to look at her, beginning to feel put out that he didn't seem to care about her.

He made a small noise, before his blue eyes snapped to her. "Oh, hey Daph," he said. Was she crazy or did she hear a hint of disappointment in his voice? "Charms again?" he asked, waiting for her to pull her books out.

Daphne shook her head, proud of the new tactic that she'd come up with to try and get Theo to open up a bit more. "Arithmancy actually. I was having some trouble with the most recent calculation that Vector went over in class the other day," she answered, pulling out her scratch paper and notes. "I was hoping that you could help explain it to me?" she asked, her teeth biting at her lower lip.

Theo hunched forward to look at what she had written down, interest on his face. "Oh sure," he agreed readily enough. "Hermione actually showed me a really brilliant way to work through it and keep all of your calculations straight."

 _Hermione_ , Daphne thought nastily to herself. Of course the Gryffindor golden girl would have some _brilliant_ method to solve arithmancy problems. She sucked a breath in as Theo began describing how to solve the equation, but she wasn't listening to any of the words that he was saying. Instead, her mind was swirling with jealousy and her eyes were wandering to just _what_ had caught Theo's attention so thoroughly just seconds before she arrived.

Resting her chin her palm, Daphne looked over, only to see that Theo had a perfect vantage of none other than Hermione Granger herself. She was sitting in a beam of late sunlight, the sun showing just how frizzy her hair really was. Her tongue peaked out of her mouth to lick the end of her quill, certainly an innocuous move, but one that would be enough to fuel many a teenage boy's fantasy. When she realized that Theo - _her Theo_ \- had been shamelessly staring at Granger, Daphne began to feel overwhelmed and upset.

All of the puzzle pieces were falling into place. Of course Theo couldn't like her if he had a crush on another witch! Only, Daphne never imagined that it would be Granger she'd be competing with.

It felt a bit like things were spiraling out of control, and she needed to get out of the library before she started to cry. Cutting Theo off mid-sentence, Daphne stood up from the table abruptly. "Sorry to be so rude," the words came tumbling out of her mouth. "I just remembered, I promised Pansy I would help her with something." A wave of her wand had all of her things tucked back into her bag, and Daphne was rushing away from Theo, not caring if he found her rude in the moment.

Her feet carried her up to her dorm room and she threw herself face first onto her bed, sobbing. How cruel was life that the moment she could appreciate how great of a guy Theo was was the same time that he realized how amazing Granger was?

She hadn't even realized that she'd had company in the dorms until she felt a soothing hand on her back. "Daphne?" Millie's soothing voice asked. "What happened?"

Knowing that it was better to talk it through with someone, Daphne turned to face her friend. "It's Theo," she revealed. "I've been trying all year to get to know him better, but I realized today that he likes someone else more than me."

"Really?" Millie asked, sounding incredulously. "Just who could Theo possibly like if not you? Everyone knows that you are the prettiest witch in this _whole_ school."

Daphne smiled despite herself. She was not vain when she knew that Millie was not saying that just to bolster her self esteem. She sat up, leaning back against her pillows and pulling her knees up against her chest. "Theo doesn't care about prettiness. He cares about smarts and intelligence," she said, not bothering to hide the bitter tone in her voice. She wrapped her arms tighter around her chest. "He likes Granger."

Millie looked shocked to hear that. "Granger? Really?" she asked, sounding surprised. "Well, she's dating Krum. And he's going to marry you in the end."

The blonde wiped the tears off of her cheeks. "Yeah, I have to get married to someone who'd prefer to be with someone else," she whined. "How the hell am _I_ supposed to compete with a witch like Hermione Granger? I'll never be able to live up to someone like her." And that was the issue, wasn't it? Once again she was left dreading a loveless marriage, but this time it was all her fault. If she'd hadn't been so selfish, Theo would have been happy to just be friends with her, and he never would have looked twice at Hermione Granger.

Millie smoothed her hand down her hair. "Well, you _don't_ try to live up to her, Daph," she said, sounding like it was the most obvious thing the in world. "Soon, we'll all be long gone from here. You and Theo will be married and Hermione Granger will be the furthest thing from his mind. Then, you guys can build up your relationship from there."

It was nice to have someone talk her through how things were going to go, letting Daphne pretend for a while like things were just going to work out. But, she knew better than that. She and Theo were doomed.

Her friend sat with her a while longer, letting her cry. There generally weren't a lot of tears in the Slytherin girls dorm, but they did happen from time to time. "Do you want me to go get Astoria?" she asked, probably feeling ill equipped to handle Daphne like that.

Knowing how much Astoria had scolded her previously for playing with Theo's feelings, Daphne knew that her sister's advice was sure to feel like frigid water. But, maybe she needed that little shock back to reality to help get her through this. Nodding, Daphne watched as Millicent fled the room, looking for the little Greengrass sister.

Daphne laid down on her side, hugging her pillow tightly against her chest, wondering if she would ever feel better about what had happened.

...

The last months of their childhood slipped by in a moment. One minute Theo Nott and Daphne Greengrass were studying astronomy and the next they were headed back on the Hogwarts Express to the the future that awaited them. They would be married at the end of June, and just like it always had been with Alfred Nott, there was no _or else_.

To her vast disappointment, the remaining months at Hogwarts had done little to convince Daphne that Theo could ever have a romantic interest in her. She _tried_ so hard to keep talking to him, but there was always that insidious voice in the back of her head reminding her that she would always be walking in the shadows of a witch who was much better than her - smarter, sweeter, more poised and driven. Daphne was prettier than Granger, but it seemed to be the one thing Theo didn't care about.

It was hard not to hate the Gryffindor girl, when Daphne knew that she was getting everything that she'd ever wanted (though, she was sure Granger would correct her and say it was everything that she'd ever _worked for_ ). Even seeing Granger kiss Krum at their graduation had only made her feel more sour about it, wondering if Theo was feeling the pangs of jealousy in his stomach.

Quite by accident, they had found themselves alone in a compartment together for the long train ride back. Theo seemed content to sit with her, watching the scenery race by out the window, but he made no effort to speak with her.

"Mother thinks that she will have everything prepared for the wedding together in another week," Daphne said, playing with the ends of her straight hair. "Maybe you'd like to come over some time and review it before the day," she offered. Perhaps Theo might like to know what she'd look like with her hair curled?

"That's fine," he said tersely, his eyes raking over her face with little interest. "I am sure that whatever you've picked out will be lovely. I don't have much of an eye for decorating."

"Well, it's _your_ wedding, too," Daphne snapped at him, weeks' worth of pent up annoyance bubbling up suddenly. "It would be nice to know that you have _any_ interest in it at all."

"Well, I don't have any interest in the wedding," he countered, his own voice taking on an annoyed tone, one she so rarely heard him use. Theo was normally very content to go with the flow, to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He wasn't forceful or rude. "I'd like it better if it was just family, but I know that's not possible."

It was true, Daphne's parents had insisted on a large wedding, with all their friends and family, seeing as Daphne was their older daughter. Since they were the ones paying for it, Theo had agreed, though he did try his best to limit the guest list, hating the idea of all the attention on him. She was a little hurt to think that maybe he didn't want people to know he was marrying her, when really, he should be the one shouting it from the rooftops. Didn't Theo Nott know that she was a catch? She was everything and more that a boy in their social circle should want.

"Look, don't you think that this farce has gone on long enough?" she questioned, unable to stomach the hurt of knowing that Theo didn't want her any longer. "It's _obvious_ that neither one of us fancies the idea of getting married. Maybe we should just try to void the contract."

"It's not possible," he answered, quietly, his eyes dropping to his lap.

"Don't sound so glum, Theo. The wedding's not for another few weeks yet," she breezed over the words. " _Surely_ we can figure out something in that time."

He wore a smirk on his lips when he finally looked up at her again. "No, I mean, I've already tried to void the contract," he answered. "At first, my father refused, but then I reviewed the stipulations with a fine-toothed comb, and it's ironclad. There is no way for us to void the contract, not now that my parents are dead."

Hearing that he'd gone _behind her back_ and tried to void the contract without even mentioning it to her made Daphne's head spin. She knew that she'd hurt Theo, and that he probably despised her, but she had never realized that it had gone so far. Knowing that he wanted to get rid of her hurt _that much_ more than she expected it would, her heart clenching in despair. She could already feel the tears forming in her eyes.

Not wanting to give Theo Nott the satisfaction of knowing that he'd hurt her, Daphne snapped her mouth shut in a smile. "Alright then," she said, hearing her voice catch in her throat and hoping that he hadn't noticed. She stood up, needing to get out of the claustrophobic compartment. "I'll just leave you to your thoughts then, and go bore Astoria with discussions of our wedding."

As soon as she shut the compartment door, Daphne pressed her back against the wall of the train, letting tears stream down her face. She waited there for several moments before realizing that Theo was _not_ going to come chasing after her. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she used her wand to hide the lingering redness in her eyes and her cheeks.

Deciding that she really would go find Astoria, she began walking down the train, hoping that her little sister wasn't so wrapped up in Draco at the moment. Seeing how happy the pair of them were together was sickeningly sweet. Somehow, snotty little Draco Malfoy had grown up into a different person, a man who seemed to think that the sun rose and set with Astoria. They obviously felt very strongly about one another, and they genuinely seemed to like one another. Her parents were over the moon with the _smart match_ that Astoria had made for herself.

She tried to be happy for her sister, really she did. It just reminded Daphne of what she would never have.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! I am so excited that we are moving on from Hogwarts and embarking on the next chapter of Daphne and Theo's life together. They have a lot to work through, of course. Now, onto the wedding. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates an answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter eight and be on the lookout for chapter nine soon!

* * *

After the excitement of graduating from Hogwarts, Theo put all of his focus into waiting to get his NEWT results back. It was the only thing that he could really do to keep from focusing too much on the wedding that was looming just around the corner.

He spent his days cleaning the manor house with the Nott family house elf at hot at his heels, eager to discuss all of the things that needed to be prepared before Daphne arrived. Boots, now getting quite old, would follow them around from room to room, laying down on every available settee to doze in the afternoon sun. Theo told the house elf that he was sure Daphne would have changes of her own that she would like to make when she arrived.

The house elf was over the moon at the idea of having a woman in the house again, imagining balls and parties that the young couple would throw for all their friends. Theo didn't have the heart to tell her that it was unlikely to be a happy future, knowing that Daphne would probably prefer to spend her time apart from him, and that he was planning on getting a job just as soon as his scores came in.

When his scores did come in - he'd passed all of the six NEWTs that he'd attempted, even scoring two outstandings in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes - Theo found that he still had so much to do around the house, that he didn't really have time to do anything else.

Daphne's impending arrival meant that he would finally have to clean out his mother's room. He spent a good week there, swept up in the memory of her smell, boxing up her robes and going through her things. It felt like an intrusion for him to come bumbling in, but he knew that it had to be done. He couldn't very well keep a shrine to a woman who had died over a decade ago forever. He was sure that his fiancee would find it morbid and weird. She already didn't think too much of him, so he was in no hurry to add more bullet points to her list of why he wasn't a suitable husband.

Theo took his time sitting at his mother's vanity, reverently touching each and every perfume bottle and piece of jewelry. He was no longer mad at his mum for betrothing him to Daphne, knowing that she probably had only thought that she was looking out for him. She had no idea that kind of woman Daphne would grow up to be, nor did she know how incredibly ill-suited they were to one another.

He stopped when he caught sight of a pair of pearl earrings, each set within a little cluster of diamonds. Theo felt a smile tug on the corners of his lips while he thought about how much they reminded him of the robes Daphne had worn at the Yule Ball all those years ago. He thought about how pretty the earrings would look, surrounded by Daphne's blonde hair, set in the middle of her earlobes.

The earrings would suit her, he thought, swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. He realized that he'd never given Daphne a gift before. Well, sure, he'd given her candy every now and again, but nothing as meaningful as jewelry, and certainly not jewelry that had belonged to his late mum. It was a spur of the moment decision, but he decided that he would give them to her. At the very least, Daphne liked pretty things, and the earrings were certainly pretty enough.

Heading off in the direction of his father's office, which had become his office, Theo jotted Daphne a quick note, inquiring after her NEWT scores and sharing the news of his own. The cynical part of him wondered if she could even find it in herself to be happy for him, or if she would just toss the note aside. He carefully wrapped up the earrings in a little charmed pouch before adding onto the note a quick post script. _I found these in my mother's jewelry and thought that they would suit you. I realize that I've been remiss in giving you any jewelry thus far into our courtship, and hope that you accept my gift._

He sent off his owl before he could second guess himself.

Then, still seated at the table, he sent another quick note to Hermione, inquiring after how she'd done on her own NEWTs, sharing the good news of how well he'd done in Arithmancy. Despite how much it hurt to know that she was in love with Viktor Krum, they had become close friends over the school year, even forming a casual rivalry in Arithmancy. He doubted that he'd be able to outscore her, but it was nice to know that he'd come close at least.

Hermione wrote back first, a gushing missive complimenting him on his hard work and how it all paid off. She offered to introduce him to Bill and Fleur Weasley if he still was interested in becoming a curse breaker, explaining that they worked for Gringotts. He wasn't sure for the moment if he would take her up on it, but it was always nice to have the right corrections. She went on to share the details of her own impressive NEWT scores, as well as her plan to head to Bulgaria for the summer with Viktor during the summer Quidditch break.

He was happy for her.

Theo didn't receive Daphne's reply until he was sitting down to eat dinner by himself in the dining room. She did congratulate him on his excellent scores, saying that she had always known he was the smartest out of the Slytherin bunch. But, her note carried good news too - she had achieved four NEWTs of her own, including a truly impressive mark for her Charms work. Her thank you for the earrings was terse, but sincere, saying that she really found them quite pretty and that it was nice of him to think of her. Daphne's note ended with a sentiment of excitement for the wedding, which was now only days away.

He wished he could believe her.

...

The Greengrasses had really outdone themselves when it came to planning the wedding. When Theo arrived at their home, they already had the large tent assembled in their lush back garden. The fabric was gauzy and light and filled with fairy lights that would be lit up once the sun began to go down. The tables were covered with huge bouquets of white varieties of flowers, making it look like some lush greenhouse. It was clean and simple and luxurious and beautiful. It was Daphne.

He didn't see Daphne, and was instead shuffled into a parlor where the rest of the men were waiting once he walked through the front door. He'd asked Draco and Blaise to stand with him, feeling a bit embarrassed that he had no family to support him, not that he'd want his father to be there if he were alive. It was just...he wanted to be normal for once in his life.

They all looked handsome in their new dress robes, and they tittered worse than old women at high tea about the day's events. Perhaps sensing how nervous he was, Draco handed Theo a flask filled to the brim with firewhiskey. Theo just wanted to get it over and done with.

Before long, he was standing in front of the Ministry wizard, with the guests all assembled. Astoria and Millicent Bulstrode stood opposite him wearing pretty cranberry colored robes. He couldn't even look up from his shoes when Daphne walked in with her father, though he could hear the excited murmurs from everyone who was sitting to watch the ceremony.

He held his breath until he saw her step into place in front of him, before letting his eyes trace up her body until he was looking at his future bride. She took his breath away.

While it was quite common for brides to wear white in the muggle world, it was not very typical for witches. But, Daphne didn't seem to care about traditions and had selected a beautiful set of white robes that seemed to float around her like sea foam, showing off her soft curves. Her honey blonde hair, normally pin straight, was softly curled and made him wonder what it would feel like to delve his fingers into. Daphne was softly smiling at him, drawing his attention to her lips. He'd come to dream about Daphne's darkly painted lips, her mouth smeared with lipsticks more obscenely, more than once and it had become a favorite fantasy of his. Today, though, she was wearing a pretty pink gloss that made her look young and inviting.

His heart skipped a beat in his chest when he noticed that she'd wore his mother's earrings. They looked dainty and perfect with her robes, and he thought that it was a wonderful way to honor her, even if he wasn't sure that was Daphne's intention. He wondered if his mum would be proud of him. After all, it was because of her that all of this was happening.

Theo was momentarily struck by the thought that he really didn't deserve Daphne.

Who would have thought that the gangly, awkward son of Alfred Nott could be tied to such a beautiful creature as the vivacious Daphne Greengrass? Theo rather felt like a little boy who'd caught a beautiful butterfly, but closed his hand around it to keep it from flying away, crushing its iridescent wings in the process. He knew that she didn't like him, but he didn't want to hurt her either. He didn't wish her ill. He'd just rather that they could go their separate ways and find happiness in their own ways.

But imagining another option was fruitless at this point.

He took Daphne's offered hand in his and turned to face the ministry wizard that would be performing the handfasting. It was marriage ceremony that had been practiced over the centuries, unchanged in its simplicity. All the guests watched in curiosity as Theo and Daphne made their pledges to one another in hushed voices, not promising a life of true love, but the more practical partnership in everything that they did. It was Theo's genuine hope that it would come true.

The zing of magic took Theo by surprise, and he nearly let Daphne's hand go in the process. For a moment she squeezed his hand tighter, not breaking eye contact, her blue green eyes looking like the sea during a storm. When it was done, they each wore matching bands of silver.

The guests that had come for the ceremony clapped politely - no one being overly enthused with the match - when it was done. Theo led his new wife, a title that had him feeling weak in the knees, to the table where the dinner would be held, their seats elevated. Their progress was stopped by numerous witches and wizards who wanted to give them their well wishes along the way.

Theo felt uncomfortable, his skin itching with the residual magic of their bonding. When they finally sat down, though, he felt as though he could relax. His glass was filled with a few fingers of firewhiskey, which he was grateful for. He took a long drink, before turning to face Daphne. "I can't believe it's finally done," he said, hoping that she wasn't offended by his disappointed tone. "It had always seemed so far away, when I was younger."

Daphne gave him a half-smile over her glass of champagne. "It doesn't feel that different," she answered honestly, though her fingers were already spinning her wedding band on her finger in nervousness.

"You look exceptionally beautiful today, Daphne," he told her honestly, wanting her to know how much that he appreciated her.

She nearly choked on her drink at the compliment, blushing in the process. "I- thank you, Theo," she answered, her eyes dropping to her lap. "You look nice, too. You've...you've really filled out since you were a child."

Theo snorted at her assessment, biting back a retort that he should hope that he had. He was eighteen, now, after all. No longer a little geek who wasn't even taller than his future wife's annoying little sister. He knew that Daphne hadn't meant it to be malicious, but her clumsy wording didn't exactly inspire confidence either.

Needing to change the subject, he let his eyes sweep over the revelers. His eyes quickly found Draco speaking in hushed tones to a beautiful Astoria Greengrass, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief and her lips quirked in a pleased smile. His friend pressed a hand to the young woman's lower back, before guiding her over to the dance floor.

Theo leaned over to speak to Daphne in a conspiratorial whisper, drawing her attention to her little sister. "How long until you think they are celebrating a wedding of their own?" he questioned, knowing that it was a bit premature. Then again, maybe it was not so far off, seeing the smitten look on Draco's face. Still, Astoria had a year left before she left Hogwarts, so there was time yet for them to get to know one another.

Daphne looked pensive, her features drawn in concentration. "I just hope that...my wish for Astoria is that she just gets to choose the man that she wants to. The man she loves," she told him, in heartbreaking clarity.

The subtext - that she had had her choice in the matter taken away and that she did _not_ love him - made it incredibly difficult for Theo to enjoy the rest of the dinner.

...

They stayed at the wedding longer than most newlyweds would. It should have come as no surprise to any of the guests that Theo and Daphne were not so eager for one another that they were sneaking off with one another, wanting to kiss one another or tear at their robes so that nothing could separate their skin.

He watched as Daphne was twirled around the dancefloor by more than one person, even sharing a few dances with her himself. He would have been content for the night to never end, because he knew what was meant to come next.

Eventually, there was no putting it off any longer, and Daphne's parents shuffled the new couple off in the direction of the fireplace so that they could floo back to Nott Manor with one another, even though the party was still raging back in the gauzy tent. Theo guided his new bride through the floo, before murmuring a spell to remove any lingering ash from her beautiful robes. There was no one there to meet them in the empty manor house, but the house elves had left flickering candles to guide them on the walk up the stairs to his bedroom, doing a poor job of making the house feel charming and welcoming.

They didn't speak while he guided them to his room, but he was pleased to see that a fire was already going in his room. Even though it wasn't cold enough to warrant one, he did think that it made things seem a little bit more romantic.

Turning back to face Daphne, he was horrified to see her standing there like a doe caught in a snare, wild eyes searching the room. "We don't have to do this right now," he told her, the words tumbling from his mouth before he could even consider them. "We can put it off until we know one another a bit better. Until you're ready."

Daphne rolled her eyes then, resuming her normally confident air. "Theo, you know that isn't possible. We have to consummate or the bonding won't take," she answered. "Besides, I've known you for over ten years now. How much better can I know you?"

Theo did not feel like Daphne knew him, but he couldn't find the words to argue with her in that moment. Instead, he busied his fingers with working the buttons on his dress robe, eager to look at anything other than her form. He could hear the rustling fabric as she worked to remove her own robes. A quiet, frustrated huff caught his attention.

When he looked up, Daphne had her back to him, her long, wavy hair held up in one hand, revealing an expanse of unblemished back to him. "Sorry, can you just help me?" she requested, sounding rather annoyed. "I can't quite reach the buttons."

Clearing his throat, Theo agreed, closing the distance between them. His fingers traced down the curve of her spine, watching in unexpected delight as she shivered in response to his soft touch. When he finally met the white fabric, he set about the task at hand, unfastening the buttons until her robes slipped down her shapely hips, pooling like meringue at her feet.

Theo didn't know where to look when she stepped out of the robes, her body bare save for a pair of knickers that he wouldn't even allow himself to determine the color. She stood out like a ray of sunshine in the dark room, flushed from the champagne she'd drank earlier. She cocked her head to the side, smirking when she realized that she was having a very real effect on him. Theo hated to feel so unbalanced, like she had something that she could use _against_ him. That he was so weak as to be manipulated by a pretty face and beautiful body.

Her fingers reached to help him with his own robes, pushing the charcoal grey fabric back over his broad shoulders. He tried not to feel self-conscious when her eyes raked over his body, drinking in every dip and angle of his body. Theo knew that he was not as scrawny as he once was, but he still felt woefully small compared to Cassius Warrington.

Daphne took him by the hand, gently leading him towards the bed. He was more than content to let her lead the situation, seeing as he'd never found himself engaging in this type of behavior before. She pushed him back against the pillows first, before following him, crawling on her hands and knees across the sheets.

Theo could feel his breath quicken and his heart race seeing the lovely Daphne Greengr- Daphne Nott made her way towards him, looking ever so lovely. He felt totally out of his depth and hurried to tell her that so that he wouldn't embarrass himself when he didn't live up to whatever expectations of him she'd created in her head. "I'm afraid that I don't really know what to do, Daph," he whispered, even though there was no one else there to hear them.

"Kiss me, Theo," she said in return, her eyes slipping shut.

Hearing his name on her pink lips only made his heart pound against his ribcage harder, and he was worried that she might hear it. Happy to follow her direction, he closed the gap between them, slanting his lips against hers, kissing her for the first time in his life. To his surprise, she fitted against him as if she had been fashioned specifically for him, her body melting against him feeling like sweet torture.

After a moment, she made a breathy little moan, her lips parting ever so slightly. Theo took the opportunity to slip his tongue against hers, feeling a zing of electricity run up his spine the moment that they touched one another.

And then, it was as if the floodgates had opened.

Gaining confidence, Theo turned, pressing Daphne so that she was nestled back against the pillows, her hair around her like a pillow. He hovered over her for a moment, unsure if he should press against her. His hand reached up to cup on perfect breast, his thumb rubbing against a pebbled nipple. Theo was filled with awe when he realized that she was aroused, aroused by him. His cock throbbed between his legs, and he couldn't help but press himself against her leg, groaning at the contact.

She kept up a symphony of moans and sighs while he ran his fingers down her stomach, catching into the waistband of her knickers. They were lace, and, allowing himself one quick glance, the color of fresh cream. He was glad that he was able to have this effect on her, watching her face contoured with eager pleasure as she lifted her hips to help him remove the knickers. While he might still be a virgin, that didn't mean that Theo Nott didn't know his way around a woman. He'd kissed his fair share of witches before that day.

It felt nice to be pressed completely against Daphne, cradled between her legs, with their most intimate places pressed together. He rocked his hips against the spot between her legs with eagerness, shocked at how wet and molten hot she seemed in that moment.

At least they got along well in this regard, he thought to himself, blithely.

When he was positioned against her opening, he slowly thrust himself into her, sighing at the completeness he felt. For a moment he was surprised that she had saved herself for him, too, touched by the thoughtfulness of it. But, he couldn't keep himself still for long, pressing his face into her neck while his hips rocked back and forth into her.

He felt as if his whole world began and ended with Daphne Greengrass, threatened to be swallowed up by a wave of pleasure. He whispered her name into her ear again and again, overwhelmed by the feeling of her nails digging into his back, her core pulsing around him. He quickly followed her into the white hot oblivion of orgasm, clutching onto her as if he his life depended on it.

...

The morning after their wedding, Theo felt more hopeful than he had in a long time that he and Daphne might be able to salvage something. Sex had seemed to put a soothing balm on the prior hurts of their relationship, and he hoped that they could begin anew. He still had no illusions that his wife was in love with him, and he still doubted that she could ever love him, but he had hope that they could learn to work together. That they could get along.

He stared at Daphne's face until she woke up, the sun shining in through the window, and he was taken by how young she looked in that moment. Ever since fourth year, she'd been synonymous with sexiness and allure. But now, he was reminded that she was just Daphne.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at him softly for a moment, before a blush grew on her cheeks. "Good morning, Theo," she greeted him, before pulling his covers a bit higher on her chest.

Cognizant that it would take time for her to grow comfortable in the new house, he wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible for her. "If you'd...if you'd like to stay in another room, I would understand," he offered, rubbing the back of his neck and wondering how he could get out of bed without revealing his naked body to her. "I want you to know that you can always have your own space here."

"That won't be necessary, Theo," she answered coolly, before looking around the room, curious to see it in the light of day. "I don't think that it's healthy for us to sleep apart, especially so early in the marriage." She bit her lower lip, thinking over her words, while she say up, working through some of the tangles in her hair. "Can you point me in the direction of the bathroom?"

Theo showed her where it was, quickly, feeling terrible that he hadn't done it the night before. She stood from the bed, darting off in the direction that he showed her, thin limbs moving quickly so as not to be exposed to the cold morning air.

Daphne peaked out of the door on last time, looking at him owlishly. "Please don't dally too long, Theo," she reminded him. "We have guests coming by at noon to open presents."

Knowing that it was the first formal function that Daphne would have organized as his wife, Theo wanted it to go perfectly. He slipped into his bathrobe to wait for her to be done in the shower, before slipping in himself. He did not want to open presents with the pureblood set, but he knew that he and his new wife had gotten off on the right foot so far, and he didn't want to mess anything up.

Daphne breezed past him once she was done in the bathroom, her face dewy and fresh. "I-you look very pretty today, Daphne," he complimented her, blushing at how he stumbled over his words. He was never going to be a suave lover, who always knew just what to say to make his witch swoon. But, his words did make her pause for a moment, a look of confusion on her face.

Cursing himself for the awkward exchange, Theo fled to the bathroom so that he could get ready for the day, too. When he was done, he could already hear the quiet bustle of voices in the parlor. It was strange to hear _his_ home sounding so full of life. His father had typically kept it silent like a crypt.

When he made it down the stairs, Daphne was sitting in the middle of the mostly female guests, looking like a Queen holding her court. She was lovely in pale pink, her legs artfully arranged to the side, with a huge white present waiting in her lap. She noticed him immediately, but didn't brighten in any noticeable when her eyes met his. "Oh, Theo, come here," she beckoned him to the open seat next to her. "I was just about to start opening the presents."

He joined her, hating the feeling of being under everyone's intense scrutiny, but he tried to help Daphne as best he could, banishing the wrapping paper and levitating new presents over for her to open. The young couple thanked the guests profusely for their gifts, even though Theo doubted their need for certain items they'd received.

"So, Theodore," Daphne's grandmother - Valentina Selwyn if he wasn't mistaken - caught his attention with an indulgent smile. "Are you going to be taking our Daphne on a nice honeymoon? I hear that the pacific islands are lovely this time of year."

Daphne laughed a little. "Or maybe we could go to Bulgaria," she said, her voice cutting him like a knife.

Theo blushed fiercely at Daphne's insinuation. Hermione Granger had not come to the wedding, despite receiving an invitation. She'd sent a gift and included a lovely note for Theo sending him her well wishes and her disappointment at not being able to attend. He swallowed thickly, wondering if Daphne had realized he had a crush on the lovely Gryffindor girl. He was momentarily embarrassed, before he remembered that he had absolutely no reason to. Daphne had had her own crushes at Hogwarts, too, and he didn't rub her face in it. He wouldn't allow her to make him feel bad about it, especially when _nothing_ happened between him and Hermione.

"I didn't realize that you had any interest in Bulgaria," he said, a bit condescendingly to her, pressing his hand to her knee. "That doesn't seem like the kind of place that _you'd_ flourish, sweetheart." The assembled old women cooed and ahhed at the exchange, not able to read any of the subtext in it.

Theo turned back to Daphne's grandmother and smiled. "We hadn't planned on taking a honeymoon at this time. I'm going to begin training to become a cursebreaker in a week, so we decided that a trip wasn't really right at this time." Daphne stiffened at his side, seeing as it was the first time she was hearing this, too, but she didn't say anything.

Valentina let out a squawk of surprise. "A _cursebreaker?_ " she questioned. "Young man, are your finances really so dire that you must resort to working to support yourself?"

He laughed, thinking that it was funny how abhorrent the woman thought of work, but he knew that it was the same attitude that many purebloods, including his late father, had. "Oh, of course not. Daphne and I could live an extravagant lifestyle and still not make a dent into our finances. My father did invest wisely," he explained. "It's just, I think I would find myself quite bored, sitting around and doing nothing. I've always enjoyed schooling, and I thought that cursebreaking would be a fun puzzle."

"Theo did very well on his NEWTs," Daphne added, her voice sounding unusually quiet. "I am sure that he will excel at being a cursebreaker, for as long as he wants to."

"Maybe we will go on a trip in a year, when we celebrate our anniversary," Theo added, wondering if he should have asked if Daphne wanted to go on a trip. He had been sure that she wouldn't want to spend more one-on-one time with him than was necessary.

"And what about you, young lady?" her grandmother asked, looking at Daphne with shrewd eyes. "Are you going to be slaving away at some job, too?"

Daphne laughed, shaking her head back and forth. "Oh, no, grandmama," she answered. "I am quite content to spend my time lazing around for a bit, especially after going back to school for another year. I'm excited to do everything that _I_ want to do for a while, no homework or exams to worry about."

Theo stared at Daphne, thinking that she looked rather in her element in that moment. He hoped that she was feeling some of the freedom that she was looking for.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I know so many of you are wanting to shake Daphne by the shoulders...I think that you might see this chapter as the beginning of the turning point. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter nine and be on the lookout for chapter ten soon!

* * *

The morning before his first day of work, Daphne swept into the little dining room area that she'd set up and ate breakfast with him. To say that Theo was startled would be an understatement, seeing as she'd been doing her best to avoid him at all costs, save for evening when she would slither into his bed next to him, her smooth legs creating a point of contact that made his heart beat in double time.

Helping herself to some toast, he was struck once again by her beauty, wearing one of the silk robes she preferred, her hair and face unadorned. He refrained from telling her that he found her pretty, seeing as this only seemed to make things seem awkward for the both of them. Of course, Daphne already knew that she was pretty, and her ego certainly didn't need him saying it again and again like a lovestruck little boy.

"So, you'll be at Gringott's?" she asked, her eyes peeking out from behind sooty ashes. "What sort of hours are you going to keep?" It was the first time that she'd acknowledged he would be starting a job, and she'd made no secret that she was not...enthused by his choice to have a career without discussing it with her first.

"My training is meant to take place primarily at Gringott's, but in the future there could be some field work," Theo explained, excited to get going for the day. He was looking forward to putting some honest work into his life, knowing that he was earning money with his own two hands, rather than getting it via dubious means like his father had. "I am not sure what the hours are yet. I suppose I will have to work that out today, but I intend to be home in time for dinner. Will you be joining me?"

Daphne made a small noise of agreement.

It was strange, Theo thought, leaving two such disparate lives, and yet being joined by something as intimate as marriage. He hoped that it wouldn't be like this for him and Daphne, and perhaps it didn't have to. They _were_ going through a period of upheaval and he shouldn't expect them to function together as a couple overnight. Perhaps they could make changes as they settled in, because the way that they existed currently was upsetting to say the least.

Breakfast finished, he stood up from the table. He paused for a moment, thinking about giving his wife a kiss on the crown of her head or on the temple, but second guessed himself. Things were already going much better than usual, there was no point in jeopardizing that.

"Theo," Daphne called over her shoulder, just before he'd made it to the floo. Her face was unreadable, as though she were still struggling to decide what to say herself. "Good luck today. I know you'll do well," she said finally.

He paused, unaccustomed to such a genuine show of affection from Daphne. "Er, thanks, Daph," he responded, trying not to think on it too much. Shaking his head, he continued on to the wizarding bank.

He did not have to wait long in the atrium of Gringott's, stared at by the goblins, before Bill Weasley sauntered in, looking the epitome of cool with his longish hair and rugged looking scar across his face. "Nott," he greeted curtly. "Come with me."

Theo followed the man who would be his mentor back to his office where they were joined by Bill's wife, Fleur. Theo remembered the woman from the Tri-Wizard Tournament back when he was a fourth year. "Your scores were all very excellent," Weasley explained, patting the stack of papers on the top of his desk. "Especially arithmancy. But, I have to be honest, I wasn't too keen on taking you on."

"You'll have to thank 'Ermione," Fleur said with her heavily-accented voice. "She had so many lovely things to say about you, that she rather convinced Bill to give you a second look."

Theo could feel the blush on his cheeks, both thankful and embarrassed that Hermione had had to intervene on his behalf so heavily. Of course, it was flattering to hear that his classmate - the brightest witch of her age - had anything positive to say about him. "I will certainly do that next time I see her," he said, swallowing thickly, imagining the witch galavanting all over Bulgaria and the Balkans with Viktor Krum. He'd probably taken her to see the hot springs in Croatia or the beaches of Greece.

"I hope that you won't do anything that would tarnish Hermione's good word," Bill said, perhaps more harshly than he was intending to, based on the pinch that his wife gave him. "She's gone out on a limb for you. Please don't disappoint her."

"I won't," Theo promised, anyway. His palms were growing sweaty the more that he had to explain himself. "I hope to show you very soon on my own merits how serious I am about the work. I think that...I think that I can be a very good cursebreaker."

"Well, you've certainly got the aptitude for it," Fleur agreed, obviously much more at ease with him than Weasley. Perhaps she was used to people looking at her and making all sorts of assumptions about her as well. "Come, we will show you to your office."

His office was just a short walk down the hallway from Weasley's office. There were numerous rooms that remained empty, though they looked like they might hold apprentices at some time in the future. As of now, it seemed like he was the only one apprenticing. He wondered if that was just due to the war or if cursebreaking had become a less desirable profession.

There was an odd sort of pride in seeing your name written on the nameplate outside of your office, Theo thought to himself, allowing a small smile when he saw his name highlighted. He couldn't wait to have the _apprentice_ portion of his title removed, and promised himself that he was going to be the best damn cursebreaker that Gringott's had ever seen. He'd show everyone who doubted him - Bill Weasley included - that they were wrong about Theo Nott.

...

Nott Manor was not as bad as Daphne remembered. When she was younger, she'd always dreaded heading over to the old house with her mother for tea, mostly because she thought that Theo Nott was rude and mean, and she inevitable left the place in tears. In her memory, it had morphed into some crumbling building, filled with cobwebs and rotting floorboards.

What she found was not nearly as bleak as all that.

It was an older home, yes, but it wasn't scary or even dark. Mostly, it was just out of date and in need of some freshening up. The grounds were very impressive as well, sprawling and lush and green. The garden seemed to have been left in neglect, and Daphne privately wondered if it was something that Theo's mum had kept up while she was alive. If Daphne squinted hard enough, she could remember lazy tea times in the afternoons when she was just a girl, clinging the the skirts of her mother's robes.

Perhaps she would try to tame the garden back to its former glory. She wondered if Theo would like that, or if it would feel like stepping on the memory of Cora Nott.

Theo had given her free reign to do with the house what she wanted, and for that she was grateful. It would have been dreadful to have to argue with her new husband over every knut that would be needed to modernize the old house. It was clear that he'd already put some work into the home in preparation for her arrival, and she was grateful for that, though she hadn't told him so. She never seemed able to find the words to tell him, each interaction colored by the stubborn jealousy that she felt, that Theo might still be pining after another witch that wasn't her. It seemed like the spiteful words jumped out of her mouth before she had time to second guess them.

Daphne started by creating a little salon for herself. Theo had his own office, and she decided that she should have one as well. An unused parlor on the first floor of the house worked very well, and the house elf mentioned that it had been unused as long as she could remember. A quick wave of her wand had the grand fireplace in working condition, though she decided not to connect it to the floo network. She was positive that the red brick would love absolutely lovely with a low fire in it come winter.

The wallpaper was easily removed and replaced by a quick coat of paint in a light blue shade that was calming, serene. The furniture had to go, unfortunately, sent up to the attic to be covered and forgotten. A new settee and plush chairs were easily procured from only the finest furniture shop in Diagon Alley. Daphne found an unused desk up in the attic when she was putting away the old furniture, and a wave of her wand had it polished and refinished. The house elf told her that the desk had belonged to Alfred Nott's mother, but she didn't find anything of note in it's unused drawers.

She filled the book ends with some of the books she'd brought from home and some of the books from the library that she was sure Theo would live. The open spaces were filled with an odd assortment of nicknacks and vases, things that her mother would say were tacky, but Daphne couldn't find it in herself to part with yet.

There was a small nook that she converted into a cozy window seat. It would be the perfect place to curl up in the afternoon with a book or a magazine, seeing as the receding sunlight hit the window _just right_.

Daphne quite enjoyed having a little helper follow her around from room to room of the stately manor home, while she took notes. No matter where she went, she could always count on the elderly crup, Boots, to stick close to her skirts, observing - supervising - her every move. It had happened more than once that she found herself talking to the cuddly pup.

It was easy to see why Theo loved the old fellow.

He had a hard time getting up the stairs now, or hoping up on couches. Daphne knew it was probably not a good idea to let the animal all over the furniture, but when he looked at her with those big, dark eyes, forked tail wagging in excitement, she couldn't find it in herself _not_ to pick up the sweet boy. He would turn in circles until the cushions were _just so_ , and then collapse into a comfortable ball pressed against her leg.

"Well, Boots, we've got the new place settings coming in this week," she said to the crup, reading the morning owl post with little interest. "Oh, I do hope that the yellow on the china matches the yellow of the breakfast nook," she fretted, giving the dog a scratch behind his ears. "And that Theo likes them."

Boots gave a little snuffle of contentment, his eyes staring up at his new mistress. Of course he couldn't answer.

"Who am I kidding, Boots?" she asked, sounding disappointed. "We'll be lucky if Theo even _notices_ the new plates at all. I've changed our _bedding_ and he hasn't even noticed that."

Daphne certainly wasn't one of those kind of girls that needed constant praise, but it would be nice to know that he liked the new extra soft cotton sheets that she'd selected for the bed. Or the fluffy white comforter that made the room seem inviting. Theo seemed completely unbothered by all the changes that she was making to his space. It was just as if...her clothes, her toiletries, and her presence had nestled in without much issue.

...

Pansy giggled away at something that Millie had said, but Daphne was too distracted to laugh along. She sighed, twisting the earring post in her ear. She'd taken to wearing the simple pearl and diamond earring that Theo had given her as a wedding present. She'd been so touched by the gesture at the time, knowing how much he cared for his late mother.

"What _is_ it?" Pansy asked, her face looking genuinely concerned, belying her irritated tone. She took a tentative sip of the martini that she'd ordered. "You've been sighing away all afternoon. Is it something to do with Theo?"

Daphne felt bad that she was bringing down the mood of her friends. They had been excited to go out to the exclusive new rooftop cocktail bar. It was expensive and swanky, and the trio of former Slytherins fit right in with the clientele. But, Daphne also knew that she could open up to Pansy and Millicent. There weren't many people who knew about her arrangement with Theo, as those kind of contracts weren't exactly discussed in polite society.

"Yes, it's Theo," she agreed, trying to think about what she wanted to say about it. "He and I...we just don't really get along. I always have such great intentions, about being nicer to him, but then...something just rubs me the wrong way and I can't stop sniping at him."

"Well at least you are being _rubbed_ at all," Millicent teased.

"Millie!" Daphne whined, slapping her friend on the arm. "You are worse than my mother. She just keeps telling me to sleep with Theo at every opportunity and that friendship will follow the intimacy," Daphne explained with a bright red blush on her cheeks.

"So..." Pansy trailed off, her eyebrows wagging in surprise. "Has it been working?"

Daphne _had_ been taking her mother's advice, making herself available to Theo should he wish to initiate sex with her, but she found little of the affection that had been promised followed, on his end at least. While Daphne had kissed other boys before, she'd never actually slept with anyone but Theo. She was surprised at how pleasurable she found it, but was frequently overwhelmed by the wash of emotions she felt in the afters. It was odd to have such a cool relationship with him normally, but once the lights were out, to have such passionate encounters between the sheets. Then to go back to merely coexisting in the morning...it hurt.

While Daphne had never been shy about talking about boys and intimacy before, it seemed different somehow to talk about doing it with her _husband_. She didn't want Millicent or Pansy to know those details about the noises that Theo made, or the way that his heart beat furiously when their chests were pressed together. "I don't really see how that's any of your business," she answered with a sniff.

Pansy's face was transformed by a slow smirk when she took in the blush staining her cheeks. "That means that they are fucking like rabbits," she said triumphantly to Millicent.

"I've always wondered about Theo," Millie quipped back. "He's so tall... and you know what they say about tall guys."

"No, Millie," Pansy said with a roll of her eyes. "It's guys with big feet."

"Well, Theo's _got_ big feet, too, doesn't he?" Mille answered, with a laugh, enjoying how irritated Daphne was growing over it.

"I don't think that's very funny," Daphne answered, taking a hearty gulp of her French 75, wondering if she could ask for extra gin in the next one.

"Oh, come on Daph. You're positively _jealous_ ," Millie scolded. "You really like Theo. Wow, I honestly never expected that in a million years."

Daphne nearly wilted under the hyper perceptive why that Millicent was looking at her. This was one of the downsides of sharing a dorm room with Pansy and Millie for so long, she supposed. They knew her just as well as anyone else, better even than their family. "I...it's not like that," she argued, though she knew that it wasn't true. She _did_ really like Theo, much more than she cared to admit.

"Oh, honey, it's not _a bad thing_ that you like your husband," Pansy said, concerned at how down Daphne seemed to be about it. "It's something lots of people wished that they had. Just think, you could be married off to someone like _Crabbe_ right now."

"Even if I did like Theo, which...I mean, I don't hate him, but I don't _love_ him either," Daphne argued back, hedging her bets a bit. She knew that there was no way she'd get away with a lie in front of her two friends. "It doesn't change the fact that _he_ loathes me."

Millie and Pansy shared a significant look before turning back to face their blonde friend. "He doesn't loathe you, Daph," Pansy said, sounding confident. "Don't you remember what a sweetheart he always was to you growing up. He definitely had a crush on you."

"Although, it wouldn't have killed you to be a little bit nicer to him while you were at school," Millie added with a frown. "Theo was absolutely smitten with you."

Feeling guilty, Daphne remembered all of the nice things that Theo had tried to do for her when they were just children and how she'd shoved it back into his face at every turn. And how had she repaid him for his kindness? By sneaking off with Cassius and getting caught with his hand up her skirt. She _still_ remembered the look of betrayal on Theo's face when he found them together.

There was no way she was going to tell her two friends about that, knowing that they'd just be disappointed in her, too.

"Just give it some time, Daphne," Millicent counseled her friend, sounding sympathetic. "It makes sense that you are having trouble adjusting. Now, Pansy, tell me, is it really true that you and Potter are having coffee later this week? It's all anyone can talk about it."

As much as she wanted to get the new gossip about Pansy and Potter, Daphne was still too wrapped up in her own little world, her stomach roiling in discomfort when she thought about Theo.

...

Working at Gringott's was going far better than Theo could have ever imagined. It was the perfect balance of working alone and working as part of a team. Fleur Weasley had taken primary effort in training him as her apprentice and he actually found that he got along with the witch quite well, even if her husband remained stubbornly uneasy around him. He enjoyed the long afternoons with some old heirloom left on his desk, turning it over again and again by himself, trying to puzzle out how to remove the curses. He sometimes even got to make field trips over to the Ministry for research.

He had settled into a rhythm that suited him well, leaving in the morning, usually before Daphne woke up, and coming into work. When the day was over, he'd return home for an awkwardly silent dinner and then retire to his own office.

So, at the end of the long, hazy summer, he should have known that something would happen to disrupt the solitude that he'd settled into. Theo was pleasantly surprised to notice a new name plate go up outside one of the empty offices, but even more surprised when he saw the name. Hermione Granger. Salazar, even thinking about her name set his heart to beating in double time rhythm.

The morning that she arrived, he popped his head into her office. She looked even lovelier than he remembered, with her cheeks dusted by a healthy quantity of freckles. Her hair was pulled back into some kind of a twist, and it showed off the pale column of her neck. "I didn't know you'd be joining the team," he said, barely able to get the words out in his excitement, a crooked smile on his face. "We should get drinks after work sometime to catch up."

"Of course. How about tonight?" Hermione offered immediately, obviously just as excited to see him again.

He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Sure, sounds great," he agreed. "I better let you get back to work before Weasley chews me out for wasting time." Hermione laughed and the sound set off the butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach.

When he left her, he immediately penned a note to Daphne, letting her know that he'd be home later, as he had some plans with coworkers after work. He doubted that she would care very much if she had the house to herself that night. It seemed like every time he showed up, something in her mood shifted, making him feel like the worst kind of influence.

Theo spent all day dreaming about how drinks would go with Hermione. Reading through his notes at the end of the day, he was embarrassed by how dismal they were, including none of the usual detail that he was sure to include. He hoped that Fleur would forgive the one slip up he'd had so far, and made a promise to himself that it wouldn't happen again the next day.

Hermione took him to a little pub on the very edge of Diagon Alley, one that Theo was safe to say he'd never been to before. "Harry, Ron and I started coming here when we stumbled upon it one day," she explained. "It can be hard to get away from the press."

"How was Bulgaria?" Theo asked, knowing that he should remind himself that Hermione was still very much involved with Viktor Krum.

"It was so wonderful," she said, with a huge smile on her face. "Viktor's family is so lovely, and it was really very nice to get away from all...well, everything for a little while. Now, I imagine that I'll be ducking the press twice as often now that Viktor's new contract has been announced."

"Where did he end up?" Theo asked. He did not keep up with Quidditch as much these days, and he certainly didn't care to know about the perfect life that Viktor Krum was surely living, making oodles of money and with the girl of his dreams on his arm.

"Appleby," Hermione told him with a smile. "Apparently, they are doing quite well the last few years, but what the hell do I know about Quidditch?" She took a quick drink of her butterbeer, pausing her frenetic energy for the moment. "How was your wedding Theo? I was really disappointed that I wasn't able to go, but your pictures turned out beautifully."

He snorted at that. Of course, it had been expected that they send a picture in for their wedding announcement in the Daily Prophet. Despite Theo's protests, the Greengrasses had insisted that it go in, and he'd relented. Though, he was surprised that Hermione had taken any note of it at all. "The wedding was alright, I guess. I've never put much thought into what the ceremony itself would be like," he confessed to her, twirling the ring around his finger, nervous.

"And how are things with Daphne?" she asked, her hand reaching across the table to give his arm a squeeze. "I know that you wanted more time to get to know her first..." she trailed off, alluding to the time that he asked her to help in breaking the betrothal contract.

Theo laughed sardonically when he thought about the state of his marriage. "Not great, I suppose. We don't see each other very often, by design," he said, before taking a sip of his firewhiskey to help bolster his nerve. After being good friends with Hermione for more than a year, Theo knew that she was just about the only person he could be honest about it with. "I feel like...I'm not good enough for her. She's...a queen, way too pretty and out of my league, and she knows it. I'm just little, rabbitty Theo Nott begging for scraps."

Hermione made a shocked noise, obviously appalled that he thought of himself that way. "Theo, you are so much more than a beggar," she insisted. "Daphne is pretty, yes, but the two of you...I don't know, suit one another in some way. I am sure that you will come to find common ground, but we've got to work on your self-confidence. If you can't see that you are important, why should Daphne?"

Her words made more sense that he cared to admit, but he knew he wasn't in the right frame of mind to face them head on at the moment. Not wanting to be a depressing cloud over their happy hour, Theo tried to change the topic. "We'll see about that," he said quickly. "But now, what's this I hear about your friend Ron asking out my friend Pansy? Should I be worried about her?"

"Worried about her?" Hermione countered with a laugh. "I think we should be worried about him! I don't think I've ever seen Ron do a one-eighty on a person so quickly in my life, let alone a Slytherin!"

...

Wiping the dirt from his hands onto his trousers, Theo banished the shovel back to the gardening shed before the tears began to roll down his cheeks. He dropped down to his knees, pressing his hands against the new mound of freshly disturbed dirt. "I'm going to miss you Boots," he whispered, remembering the lively little crup fondly. "You were my first real friend."

Theo briefly wondered if Boots would appreciate that he'd buried him the muggle way. One final act of defiance towards his father, who would have loathed it, just like he'd loathed the crup that had belong to his wife. When the sun finally began to set, he apparated back to his bedroom. Lying down on the bed, he didn't even bother to disrobe for the day.

He wasn't sure how long he spent lying there, but eventually the door opened, admitting his wife. Daphne didn't say anything at first, just joining him on the bed, spooning herself against his back, a slim arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer against her. "I'm so sorry, Theo," she whispered quietly.

Surely, blubbering like a child in front of your wife would not do anything to endear you to her, Theo thought to himself, but he couldn't move to dry the tears. "He was the last connection to my mum," he told her, quietly. Rolling he turned to face her, staring into her blue green eyes. Theo was surprised to see her looking exceedingly empathetic, genuine worry and care reflected in her stare. "I knew that he was getting old, but, I still never expected..."

"I knew that he was having trouble getting around," Daphne told him, catching a plump lower lip with her white teeth. "He followed me everywhere, but he couldn't get up the stairs on his own and he had trouble getting on the settee. I should have told you about it sooner."

"No, no," he answered, seeing the guilty tears welled up in her eyes. He lifted a hand to cup her cheek gently. "It was just...his time. I didn't know that he kept you so much company," he said, glad that his elderly crup hadn't been so lonely in his last weeks alive. Theo choked on a half-sob when he realized just how neglected the little pup had been, with Theo gone at Hogwarts for so many months out of the year and then him being so busy at work. He was glad that Daphne didn't mind the sweet little animal, letting him keep her company. "We should get you another one. You shouldn't have to be so cooped up here all by yourself."

"No," Daphne insisted, shaking her head. She brought her fingers up to slide through his toffee colored hair. "I mean, I would love to get another crup someday, but I don't think it's a good idea to run out and get a puppy right away. It would feel too much like replacing Boots and we should take some time grieve him."

"Of course," Theo agreed, thinking that it seemed rather sensible of her. It would be wrong to rush out and buy a crup without thinking it through. Boots hadn't been a puppy for a long time, but he still remembered how much effort it had taken to train him when he'd been that little and now most of that effort was likely to fall onto Daphne.

Her fingers kept working their way through his hair which had grown a bit longer than he typically kept it. It was...nice. Calming. Theo let his eyes slipped closed and snuggled closer to Daphne, pressing his face into her shoulder. She smelled like roses and grapefruit. He felt close to her for the first time since they'd realized that they were tied to one another for the rest of their lives. Theo could feel his heart pounding steadily against his ribcage, feeling the kind of affection for his wife that he only dreamed he'd have.

Laying like this, in Daphne's arms, Theo realized that Boots was not the last connection to his mother, not really. Daphne was. The woman that his mother had insisted he would someday come to think she hung the moon.

"Daph?" he questioned, unsure of how long the two of them had been lying there.

"Hmm?" she responded, quietly, her voice on the edge of sleep.

He smiled. "The garden looks wonderful. I almost didn't recognize it," he told her honestly, having been completely...impressed when he saw that state of it. Daphne was breathing new life into the old manor, slowly but surely. He hadn't noticed it until today.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so pleased that you guys are enjoying this story. It's hard to believe that there are just a few chapters left - there will be fifteen in total. I hope that you enjoy the ups and downs that this chapter will bring. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter ten and be on the lookout for chapter eleven next week!

* * *

The months seemed to speed by at Gringott's as Theo grew more confident in his curse breaking abilities. He was blossoming under Fleur Weasley's patient tutelage. He liked the pretty witch, with her difficult to understand accent and her no-nonsense method of teaching. She brought him out on most of her consults now, and she'd even let him take control of most of what they did.

Bill Weasley, while initially quite wary of the younger Slytherin, had come around once Theo had protected Fleur from a dangerous curse that would have seriously harmed their unborn child. They were expecting a daughter, to be born the following spring, and while he never came out directly and said it, Theo knew that Weasley appreciated having another wizard watching his wife's back.

Not that Fleur couldn't hold her own.

It was good getting to know Hermione even better now, too. Their friendship had genuinely flourished over the months that they had been working together, especially now that they spent most of their time together. They often ventured out into Diagon Alley together to get lunches on slow days.

Their close contact had had an unusual side-effect for Theo, though. He found that his crush on the Gryffindor, once so strong at school that he'd nearly confessed his feelings to her, had pittered out slowly, but surely. Theo wasn't entirely sure what it was that changed his mind.

Perhaps it was learning that she wasn't nearly as perfect as she had seemed at school. Hermione could be so stubborn it would nearly drive him crazy sometimes. And, if she thought she knew the best way to do something, she would refuse any outside help or suggestion, even though he'd been there for three months without her. She also had the annoying habit of letting Potter and Weasley walk all over _still_ , even after they graduated.

Or maybe it was the fact that he could see just how smitten she was with Viktor Krum. She always wore a little smile on her lips when she talked about the Bulgarian, eyes wide and amused as she described whatever it was that they had done the weekend before. She was always exceedingly proud to brag about his Quidditch exploits, even if it was entirely clear that she had no idea what it meant or what she was talking about. It was cute, adorable even.

When she would talk about Viktor, Theo could feel his heart ache, and he thought that he was just pining for the girl that he could never have. It took him some time, but he quickly realized that he wasn't actually sad that he couldn't have Hermione, but rather...wistful that he could never have _that_ kind of relationship with Daphne.

Daphne was a nearly unspoken topic at work, though not for lack of trying. Bill and Fleur had invited him and his wife to dinner at Shell Cottage, where they lived, more than once, having expressed surprise that he was married at all. Part of him wanted to accept, to be normal for once and have dinner with friends, but he highly doubted that Daphne would want to have dinner with Weasleys. She would probably see them as below her status. In any case, he never asked.

Occasionally, he would accept to get drinks with the three others after work, but those were few and far between. It didn't feel right that he should be living it up on the town while Daphne stayed home all the time.

"Why don't you just invite Daphne to meet us out?" Hermione had pressed one afternoon. "It would be great to catch up with her after school, find out what she's been up to."

Theo had colored, too embarrassed to remind Hermione that she and Daphne hadn't exactly been friends. It wasn't as if there was anything to catch up on. He shook his head. "Maybe some other time," he cautioned knowing that there was unlikely to be another time. "Astoria is home from Hogwarts for the Yule Break and I think we will go visit her. They are very close."

"Oh, of course we understand," Fleur said, breezing through his rejection like always. "It is torture for me to be away from my own sister, Gabrielle. I can imagine she wants to soak up every precious minute with her sister."

Theo was glad for the explanation that Fleur had provided. If he was honest, he was looking forward to going out to dinner with Astoria and Draco later that week. Draco was getting very serious about Astoria and Theo had a hunch that he was thinking of proposing, though he hadn't come out and said it during the times that they went out together. He was pleased that he and Draco had mostly full repaired their friendship after the war.

It was no secret either that Daphne would light up around her sister, and Theo always wanted to give her that joy if he could. Especially after the disastrous seventh year under the Carrows rule, the two Greengrass sisters had only grown closer to one another, having to lean on each other a lot to get through it. Now, when they spent time with one another, it was like a different...happier side of Daphne came out. She was funny and laughed freely. Nothing like the quiet creature that shared his bed with him every night.

He loved seeing her that way, if he was honest. It reminded her of another time, and he would spend most of their evenings with Astoria fading into the background, wondering if Daphne would ever open up that way when it was just him. Was there something that he could do to make her feel as if she could be herself?

While he wasn't sure if it was possible, he wasn't going to give up trying.

...

Astoria looked so stunning on her wedding day, Daphne thought, staring at her little sister proudly. With her tightly fitting dress robes, she looked every inch the woman that she'd grown up to become. But, what was most appealing was the happy, _goofy_ grin that Astoria wore all day, with the knowledge that she was marrying the love of her life.

Who would have thought that rude, entitled little Draco Malfoy would grow up to become the man that _completed_ her sister? The thought of what a little snob Draco was when they were just eleven, embarking out into world for the first time, was enough to make Daphne laugh. But now, he was tempered, more earnest and more sincere. And it was clear that he loved Astoria just as much as her sister loved him.

So, Daphne knew that she could be happy for them. Genuinely happy.

It had been a bit surreal when she had stood at Astoria's side while the newest Malfoys exchanged promises and were handfasted. Theo stood on her opposite, as Draco's witness, and it was an odd reminder of their own wedding day barely more than a year before. Their relationship was no warmer or colder than it was before. Just stilted and stiff.

They sat with each other at dinner. Theo was nothing if not dutiful to her, never leaving her side for even a moment. He was attentive and made sure that she wanted for nothing, even wordlessly applying a warming charm for her when he noticed that the gardens had grown a bit cold for her tastes after the stars came out.

Perhaps their relationship had changed more than she thought. They were...accustomed to one another.

She had been planning on asking Theo if he wanted to dance when his eyes lit up at whoever he saw across the room. He barely spared her a comment before he was stalking across the room to get to whoever he saw. Daphne felt a jolt of surprise when she realized that it was _Granger_. She followed after him.

Theo wrapped Hermione in a tight hug, which Granger returned, wearing a huge smile on her face. Daphne wished that she could brush their close embrace off, reminding herself that Granger was _still_ dating Krum, but she was unsettled, disturbed by what she saw between her husband and that bushy-haired bookworm. They seemed...so close.

"Hermione," he greeted her warmly. "I had no idea that you were coming!"

"Well, you know the Malfoys," Hermione answered with a smirk and a playful roll of her eyes. "They always have to throw the _biggest_ parties. No offense to the newest Mrs. Malfoy, of course," she added when she saw Daphne. "It's good to see you again, Daphne."

Theo must have only realized that she'd followed him when Hermione spoke to her. Turning, her husband had at least half the decency to look embarrassed at his behavior, a blush staining his cheeks. "Daphne, you remember Hermione of course," he said.

Daphne stiffened when Theo wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Giving them a tight smile, she nodded, regarding Granger with a critical eye. "I didn't realize that the two of you kept in touch," she said, wondering if Theo knew how vexed she was by this odd interaction.

He cleared his throat a bit oddly. "I could have sworn that I told you," he said with a frown. "Hermione and I work together at Gringotts. She's an apprentice cursebreaker, too."

"Well, I'm still an apprentice, but you're nearly done," Granger teased Theo, pressing her hand to his arm.

It felt as if she'd just had a bucket of water dumped on her head. Had Theo's whole reasoning for joining the Gringotts team been because of his obvious crush on Granger? A horrible thought struck her. What if Theo and Hermione had been conducting some kind of secret affair at work? Looking at Granger, she doubted that the Gryffindor would cheat on Viktor Krum. But an emotional affair...

Before she could answer, the trio was surprised by none other than the Bulgarian himself. Hermione immediately preened under his loving gaze, tucking herself into his side. They fit together like they were made for one another. That thought made Daphne's heart ache. "Viktor, this is my friend, Theo, from work and his wife, Daphne," she explained with a broad grin. "Theo, Daphne, this is Viktor, my fiance."

Daphne was barely able to repress a snort of derision. _Of course_ , everyone under the bloody sun knew who Viktor Krum was; he needed no introduction. But, she was surprised that they were engaged. That certainly hadn't been written in the papers yet. Theo didn't look surprised. "Congratulations," she said, never one to forget her manners. "Was it a recent engagement?"

Hermione nodded happily. "Just two weeks ago. We are still working through telling our friends and family," she explained with a smile. "It still seems so surreal."

Not entirely sure _what_ to say to the other woman, Daphne turned to look at Theo. He'd been eagerly sucked into a conversation with Krum about a recent match that he'd gone to see with Draco. They'd always been Puddlemere fans for the longest time, but they'd only recently resumed their childhood tradition of watching matches with one another. Krum didn't seem outwardly bothered to speak at length with Theo. With a sick feeling in her stomach, Daphne wondered if Krum had any idea of the depths of the _friendship_ between Theo and Hermione. Maybe he was better off left in the dark.

"Oh look, I think I see Harry over there!" Hermione said suddenly, pressing her hand into Viktor's arm. "We should go say hi. It was so nice to run into you here. The four of us should grab dinner sometime."

Daphne stared at Granger like she'd grown a second head, wondering just how cruel the witch was that she wanted Daphne to _watch_ her flirt with Theo all evening long. And just when had Granger grown so confident and social? Last she'd checked, the curly-haired witch hadn't even been able to maintain cordial relationships with her own roommates at school. "That would be nice," Daphne agreed eventually, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent her from saying something rude.

"Great," Hermione said, playing at being genuine. "Well, see you at work on Monday, Theo," she added, before pulling Krum away to mingle with the other guests.

When she was left alone with Theo, she turned to look at him. He looked so handsome in his dress robes, but seeing the way that he'd just acted around Hermione, it was almost as if he'd become an entirely different person. "I didn't know that you were nearly done with your apprenticeship," she said, feeling a knot forming in her throat when she put into words just how little she knew about her own husband.

Theo looked at her with confusion on his face. "You never asked," he answered, all flat affect. "I was under the impression that my work bored you."

Suddenly needing to get away from him, unless she do something horribly embarrassing like _cry_ in front of him, Daphne made some excuse about helping her mother organize more champagne. Her heart fluttered in her chest with the knowledge that her _own_ husband thought so very little of her. He hurt her, and worst of all, he probably had no idea that he'd even done anything wrong.

A part of Daphne wanted to hurt him back. Perhaps she could have some torrid affair with a handsome wizard. After all, Theo was getting what he needed from somewhere else, why shouldn't he? There were plenty of people who would jump at the chance to sleep with her, married or not. But, she knew that cheating on Theo would be a temporary balm to soothe her hurts, one that would wear away, leaving her feeling more horrible than before. She just didn't have it in her heart to do that to Theo.

 _Not again, anyway_ , that traitorous little voice in the back of her head said. She'd tried that once, already, with Cassius and look at where that had gotten her. Hiding behind a topiary at her little sister's wedding, crying desperately over love that she threw away.

...

Their first year of marriage had flown by in the blink of an eye, with Theo being so caught up in his apprenticeship. He felt horrible that he'd nearly let the anniversary pass without doing anything for Daphne. Even though their marriage wasn't perfect, he knew that it would be too big of an insult not to do something special for her.

He realized that he felt bad with the way he'd been...well, ignoring wasn't the right word, but...the way he'd been neglecting Daphne. He'd meant to give her space to grow into the marriage, so that she wouldn't feel trapped or suffocated by being married to him. However, that had quickly translated to him essentially not trying to make things work at all.

Perhaps he still felt stung by the last time that he'd tried to make things work with Daphne, when she'd rewarded him by carrying on with Warrington. But, as one year had passed, he decided to give things another shot. While he wasn't certain that Daphne could ever feel love for him, he wondered if they couldn't at least be friends.

Memories of a younger Daphne waxing poetic about a family vacation that she'd taken to Naples when she was still at Hogwarts, and he began quietly making arrangements. Having completed his apprenticeship, he arranged with the Weasleys and the goblins for him to take a significant three week vacation before resuming his job.

Daphne seemed wary when he told her about their plans to head to Italy together to mark their anniversary. "Just the two of us?" she had nearly squeaked in surprise. "Maybe we should invite Astoria and Draco to come with us."

He had laughed at her then. "They are surely happily on their honeymoon," he said with a grin. "It will be good for us to get away for awhile."

Once she'd agreed, she'd gone to pack her things in a trunk, while he went to go arrange their international portkey. They had left the next morning.

Theo was overwhelmed at first by the hustle and bustle of the city. Being in a very ancient city, the wizarding and muggle world had grown into one another, developing as one entity. Feeling the need to protect Daphne, Theo wrapped his arm around her waist, tucking him into his side while the navigated through the dirty streets until they could get to the apparition point.

The villa he'd selected for them was another story. It was tucked away on a beautiful stretch of the bay overlooking the gulf of Naples and had the kind of privacy that only Nott money could buy. Theo could admit that he was pleasantly surprised, having never traveled outside of the country before. He hadn't really known what to expect, but he enjoyed the views and the well appointed villa they would be staying in for the next few weeks. Though, he was looking forward to changing into something better suited for the hot temperatures. Even his cooling charms weren't making much of an impact.

Daphne seemed to be very impressed with their accommodations as well. As soon as they entered, she'd immediately made a sweep of all the rooms, looking quite pleased at what she found there. "This is lovely Theo," she said with a soft smile. "You did a great job picking it out."

He felt his cheeks go a bit pink at the unexpected compliment. It felt good to know that he had been able to come up with a good surprise for his wife. While he wasn't sure that romance was in the cards, he hoped that she at least saw that he was a thoughtful and attentive husband.

...

Naples was a revelation for Theo.

At first, spending so much time with Daphne all alone a city where he didn't even speak the language had felt as stifling as the Italian sun. Normally so used to spending his time in silence, Theo was filled with an odd itch to fill the gaps in conversation, only to realize that he didn't know what to say. Daphne didn't seem to know what to do with his constant commentary about the banalities they were faced with.

It had lead to him venturing out on a few solo excursions, out to some museums that he knew that Daphne just wouldn't care for. He was very impressed by the winding, narrow streets that radiated out from the city center and the interesting little curio shops tucked away on the back roads. He had quickly found a necklace with a single pearl on it that he thought would suit his wife.

However, after a few days of restlessness, Theo found himself unwinding enough to enjoy the serenity of their villa. Daphne didn't need him to talk to her the whole time, being just as happy as he was to listen to the waves break on the shore while they ate breakfast with one another.

He accompanied Daphne to the private beach that was just a short walk away from the villa, her beach bag slung over his shoulder. Daphne seemed quite at home on the beach, knowing how to select the best beach chairs, spreading thick, soft towels off of each of them. With her fashionable sunglasses and salt-water kissed hair, his wife looked like a goddess. There was something about her that came alive in the pinks, oranges and browns of Naples. It wasn't as if she _wasn't_ beautiful back home, but...

Watching her remove her robes to reveal the swimsuit that she wore underneath made his mouth go dry. Theo briefly wondered if she knew the effect that she had on him, before dismissing the idea. Obviously, Daphne was aware of the effect she had on _all men_. Why should he be any different?

She didn't read the glossy magazines that seemed to litter her little office at home when they were at the beach, instead choosing to read paperback mysteries. With her legs bent at an angle, she would use the book to shade her face, greedily soaking in all the words. Theo didn't know that she really liked to read anything at all, but there was no doubt that she was enjoying herself while she giggled away at the little detective story that she was paging through.

When it was time to eat lunch, Theo's stomach protesting from the lack of food, he pulled his linen shirt back on and walked up the beach to find them sandwiches and wine. It didn't take him too long.

Daphne was happy for the sandwich when he presented it to her, using his wand to uncork the wine. She made a rather sinful noise when she took her first bite. "Thank you, Theo," she said, gratefully. "Arugula and prosciutto. It's my favorite."

"I know," he said, a bemused look on his face when he offered her a glass of the wine.

She sat up then, angling her body towards his. Theo could feel her eyes on him, even if she couldn't see where she was looking behind the black lenses of her sunglasses. "How do you do that?" she asked, pushing her long hair over one shoulder. "You always seem to know exactly what I like."

He shrugged his shoulder, feeling a blush come back to his cheeks, and he wondered if there would ever be a time that he didn't feel embarrassed around Daphne. They were together now - there was no need for any pretense. "I-I have always paid attention to you, Daphne," he said finally. "I'm not the most loquacious person, but I am a good listener and well, I suppose I remember."

She fiddled with the ends of her hair, looking for split ends that she'd never find. "So, Naples?"

"I remembered you talking about it back at Hogwarts," he explained. Suddenly, he could no longer keep his eyes on the sun kissed freckles on her nose and cheeks and turned his attention to the rolling waves. "Your family had come here on holiday and you told me that you wished you could live here. I figured it was as good a place as any to take you on our anniversary. I hope that you still like it a much."

Daphne wore an indulgent smile on her face. "I like it _much_ more than I did before," she admitted, sounding as though she didn't quite believe what she was saying. "Our villa is much fancier than what my parents would have gotten. And the company is better."

Theo sucked in his breath, hearing what it was that she said. He turned to look at her, surprise clear on his face. "Really?" he asked, sounding absolutely dumbfounded. "You wouldn't have preferred to have Astoria here with you?"

She laughed at that. "Are you kidding? Astoria was such a little terror when we were children, always following me around and tattling on me," Daphne said.

He felt the little glimmer of hope - hope that Daphne might actually enjoy spending time with him - be extinguished by her words. Of course she meant he was better than a younger Astoria. "Oh," he said softly, unsure of what else to say.

"And, now - I doubt that I could get a word in edgewise with her. All she ever wants to talk about is Draco," Daphne continued, before rolling back onto her back, lunch finished, though she was still looking at his face. "No, you are much better company than Astoria. You were so right. It was good for us to come here on our own. It seems odd that we haven't really spent much time alone since we got married."

Theo felt a cautious smile creeping onto his face, glad that his plan was maybe starting to work. Unsure of what to say back, he pulled out his own book. "I'm glad you think so," he said, taking a drink of his wine.

The pair settled back into companionable silence.

...

Daphne had been nervous to spend so much time alone with Theo when he first told her that they were going on such a _long_ vacation. She was sure that it would mean that there would be no place to hide from the growing tension between them. Things had been...stiff at first, but Theo slowly loosened up and Daphne found herself enjoying the time with just her husband.

She was sure that she would spend the trip resenting him for the suspect relationship that he had with another witch, but in Naples, it was as if nothing else existed in between them.

Theo was so thoughtful and sweet, Daphne was quickly realizing. She'd come to recognize how much he'd just tried to make things work between them when he was at Hogwarts, remembering his requests for trips to Hogsmeade and of course, to the Yule Ball, but she hadn't given him an inch. Now, as a married couple, it seemed that he was not done putting her wants and needs first.

The day that they spent at the beach, he'd bashfully told her how he always _listened_ to her, always _paid attention_ to the things that she liked and tried to remember them. Daphne felt butterflies in her stomach when she remembered the sugar quills that he'd given her for her birthday. He'd even remembered how much she'd enjoyed Italy. They were little details, things that she was sure even her closest girlfriends couldn't remember, but Theo did.

It made her heart ache, when she realized how much he did for her, and how little she did for him.

While she might not have been paying attention for as _long_ as Theo, that didn't mean that she didn't pay any attention to the things that Theo liked. She had spent many weeks alone in the Nott Manor, and she was sure that she'd been over every inch of the house at that point, including his own office. She was not blind to the mark that remained from his mother. He never came out and said it, Daphne knew that the stack of records that Theo had inherited from Cora were among his most prized possessions. He listened to them infrequently, but always handled them with the utmost of care.

Seeing as the end of their long vacation was rapidly coming to an end, Daphne wanted to do something special for her husband, to let him know that the things that he liked were important, too. She arranged dinner at a little restaurant, and pulled Theo by the hand all the way down the old streets until they found it.

Theo seemed pleased with the food. He was happy to eat the rich seafood that she ordered in her stilted Italian, as well as the red wine that she selected. He seemed happy to have her take the lead for the first time in their relationship. But when the large seven piece jazz band came out after the sunset over the bay, the look that came over his face was one of pure wonder and appreciation.

Immediately, he turned to look at her, hearing the soulful whine of the trumpet. "Daphne?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"You aren't the only one who pays attention, Theo," she said softly, staring into his deep blue eyes, glad that she was able to bring him a bit of the joy that he had given her so much of.

They enjoyed the music together, drinking the last of their bottle of wine, until Daphne was sure that her normally white teeth had gone purple. When they were finished, though, she reached across the table to twine her fingers with his eagerly. "Dance with me?" she requested, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in Theo's warm embrace.

He nodded, standing up from the table and helping her out of her seat. Daphne sighed as she pressed her head against Theo's chest and swayed back and forth to the beat. The music sounded mournful...perhaps mourning their return to relating, to wizarding England, in just a few days. The music was too slow to do anything more than a lazy back and forth, but she found that she quite liked it, so long as she was close to Theo, the heat of his skin radiating through his shirt and into her cheek. She listened to his heartbeat - steady and unbothered - through the gentle beat of the snare.

Theo had one of his hands on the swell of her hip while the other rested on the small of her back, holding her close, and Daphne could feel her heart flutter in excitement at being so close to her husband. Merlin, she wished that they had done this years ago. If she'd known what had just been around the corner, maybe she wouldn't have been so petulant.

But she hadn't known, and now she was positive that her husband might love another witch, Daphne reminded herself sadly. Letting her eyes slip shut, she forced the negative thoughts from her mind. There was no point in crying over it now.


	11. Chapter 11

Theo didn't see much of his coworkers the first week after his return from Italy. Now that he was no longer an apprentice, the goblins were eager to send him out to work on various freelance jobs, knowing that he would have the capability to work on his own. It was strange not to have Fleur Weasley looking over his shoulder, making sure that he wasn't about to make a colossal mistake. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that Fleur wouldn't have been there anyway, as she had started her maternity leave after giving birth to a daughter, Victore. Bill had been proud to show off half a dozen pictures of the pretty little baby.

He quickly found himself feeling lonely. Theo had always been used to working alone, but after spending quite so much time with Daphne at his side, he found himself missing her presence. He had to stop himself from sending her a little note to tell her just how much he wished he was with her about three times a day. He was certain that she would find the gesture odd and unwelcome.

So, he was quite grateful when Hermione stuck her head into his office the second week back when he was catching up on some paperwork. "We're going to lunch - don't even try to get out of it!" she said with a smirk. "I haven't seen you in a month."

Theo did not need to be convinced.

They grabbed sandwiches at a little pub not far off of Diagon Alley, a favorite of theirs. Theo had barely sat down in his chair before Hermione was giving him the third degree about everything he did on his trip. "Tell me _everything_ ," she said eagerly. "I've never been to Italy."

He quickly explained the general footprint of the city, while sharing a few of the museums and libraries that he'd been to, knowing that they would be of the greatest interest to Hermione.

"Well, you look great - all tan and relaxed," Hermione complimented him, pressing her hand on top of his in a quick squeeze. Theo was barely able to stop himself from blushing at the realization that Hermione had _noticed_ anything about how he looked physically. "And what about Daphne?" she pressed, before taking a bite of her own sandwich.

Theo swallowed thickly. "What about her?"

Hermione laughed in surprise at his ignorance. "Well, how did she like the trip?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "It was your first anniversary. Surely you didn't just leave her to her own devices while you were holed up in museums, did you? That wouldn't be very romantic."

"You know that our relationship isn't..." Theo trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "Our marriage was arranged. It's not very romantic to begin with."

She looked at him shrewdly, as if she was seeing some hidden feeling he didn't know he was telegraphing. "Just because it was arranged doesn't mean that feelings couldn't grow," she said softly, her eyes never leaving his face, looking for an hint that she was on the right track. "It would only be natural for the two for the two of you to grow to care more and more for one another."

Theo looked away guiltily, his eyes back onto the table. "Of course I didn't leave Daphne to her own devices," he said, needing to get the conversation off of _that_ particular topic. "We spent a lot of time together. She really enjoys Italy, I think. She told me she went there when she was younger and she's been moping around the manor ever since we returned home."

"Well, who wouldn't mope if you just came from sunny Italy and then you had to come back to the gloom that's been hanging around England lately?" Hermione questioned, deftly ignoring the fact that he'd changed the subject. "That's nice that you went back there for her."

"Yeah, she seemed pretty surprised that I remembered she'd even told me," he said, once again feeling uncharacteristically embarrassed, and hoping that Hermione wouldn't read more into it than it was. He was just a husband, trying to keep his wife happy.

Hermione gave him a small grin. "You _are_ a really good listener, Theo," she complimented quietly. "So, tell me, what did you and Daphne get up to?" she asked, only to have her face go a bit pale. "Oh, er, unless you _can't_ tell me. There are some things that I think friends just _shouldn't_ share," she said, shuddering at the thought.

Theo snorted in laughter. "Now, we did other things," he said. He couldn't imagine anything worse than sharing his intimate moments with anyone else. He could barely talk about basics with Draco and Blaise without turning into a stuttering puddle.

He eagerly regaled Hermione with their lazy days spent reading on the beaches, splashing each other in the waves when they got too hot to bake any longer. He told her about how great Daphne was at finding little hidden restaurants with great food and greater wine, and how they would spend the evenings reminiscing about happier times in Slytherin house.

"On one of the last nights there, she arranged for us to go see a jazz band that was performing," he said with a ghost of a grin on his face, remembering how...shocked and touched he'd been that Daphne had gone through the trouble to think of something he might like to do. He'd been positive she had no idea about the stacks of jazz records in his office. "My mum was a big fan of jazz, you see, and well, it's rubbed off on me a bit."

Hermione was returning his grin with a dopey look on her face, as though she knew something that he didn't.

"What? What is it?" he asked, hoping that he hadn't done something horribly embarrassing in front of her. His crush may have fizzled out, but he still didn't like the idea that she might be secretly laughing at him. Not that Hermione Granger was that kind of person.

"Nothing," Hermione said, unable to hide a smirk, but he tried to believe her anyway. "I'm just glad that you had a good time on your vacation." With that, they switched gears to talking about how her wedding planning with Viktor was going.

...

Daphne had come to look forward to her dinners with Theo every evening. She took great pride in designing weekly menus for them, making note of the dishes that he liked and trying to find more in the same vein. Theo was a very adventurous eater, though the house elves had been cooking the same set of meals for years and years before that. In retrospect, she figured that it was due to his father's preferences and not Theo.

Things had been a bit awkward at first while they transitioned from eating dinner at a slightly-crowded Slytherin table the year before to it usually just being the two of them. Theo was not as good of a gossip as Pansy, and he never spoke to her with Millie's no-nonsense attitude, so it was difficult to make the transition to someone who was happy to let her do all of the talking.

But after they returned from Italy, Daphne realized just how much she truly enjoyed sharing that little moment with Theo every evening.

She remembered, shamefully, how she hadn't even known that her husband had graduated from being an apprentice cursebreaker, having to find out from _Hermione Granger_ herself, and made an effort to get Theo to contribute more to their evening ritual. While they were in Italy, he'd opened up quite a lot, telling her silly stories about what the Slytherin boys in their year had gotten up to during happier times. She'd done the same, telling him about the time that Pansy had tried to brew a love potion to give to Draco, only to have it backfire spectacularly.

However, Daphne had also come to realize that her days had grown quite empty. She had touched every single room in the Manor at that point, and there was nothing left for her to decorate. While she did see her friends with some regularity, they all had busy lives of their own and couldn't sit around at her beck and call. She spent most of her afternoons just waiting for Theo to come home.

Daphne decided to mention it that evening to her husband. They had sat down for a dinner of linguine with prawns and blistered tomatoes that had Theo's blue eyes lighting up in excitement. She inquired after his day and was glad to hear that Fleur Weasley would be returning to work soon - Theo had been working additional hours to help pick up the slack and she would be glad when he returned to a normal schedule. "Perhaps we should invite them, and the baby, over for dinner sometime," she offered, hopefully. It really had been too long since she'd been around an infant.

Theo looked surprised. "Oh, um, I suppose if you wanted to. I don't think the Notts have ever held a dinner party since before I was born. Might be a good change," he said, looking at her with confusion. "Hermione and Viktor, too," he added as an afterthought.

She took a sip of her ice water to stop from saying the first thought that popped into her head. It really wouldn't do to disparage her husband's friend in front of him, no matter what she thought of their relationship. Once she'd gotten ahold of herself, Daphne gave Theo a smile. "Of course, who wouldn't want to host an international Quidditch star?" she teased.

Twirling a bit of pasta around her fork, she sat in silence for a while she tried to think of how she wanted to put her next request. "I was thinking..." she trailed off, figuring that it was probably just best to get it out. The worst that he could do would be to argue with her. "I was thinking, maybe I should get a job."

He made a face. "Really?" Theo asked, incredulously.

His reaction caught her off-guard, as though he couldn't imagine her wanting to do it. "I, well, yes," she answered finally. "I find myself quite bored here now that there is nothing left to decorate. I thought that a job would be a good idea for me to fill my time, before we have children anyway."

Theo's face turned as red as the tomatoes at the _mere_ suggestion of children. "I - of course, if you want to get a job...you should do whatever makes you happy," he said finally.

She knew that whatever it was that she had been expecting, this wasn't it. It seemed as if Theo didn't care _what_ she did with her time. She wondered if she told him that she wanted to have a relationship with Warrington, if he would instruct her to just do whatever made her happy? The blonde decided right then that him arguing with her really wasn't the worst he could do; the worst he could do was to treat his wife with apathy, taking utterly no interest in his life.

"Well, I...I don't really have any idea what I would be doing, yet," she said, suddenly feeling quite lame. She realized that while the thought of getting out of the house appealed to her, she had no idea what she would be best at. "I am not sure where my skills really lie."

Theo gave her an encouraging smile. "You did great on your NEWTs, Daph," he complimented. "I am sure that you will do wonderfully wherever you end up. Though, I will say, you've always had such an aptitude for charms. Maybe you should start there?"

Giving her husband a nod, Daphne wondered why she had such a knot in her throat.

...

The Greengrass sisters were a force to be reckoned with. When Daphne and Astoria set their minds to something, it seemed that there was nothing to be done to stop them. So, when the declared that they would have regular dinner dates with their husbands, Theo and Draco could do nothing but tag along.

Not that Theo was really complaining about it too much.

He and Draco had been friends for years, and now that the war was over, they had only grown closer. They had begun to resume their tradition of going to Puddlemere United games again, so an additional evening of drinks and dinner wasn't so much of a burden on either of them.

Theo found himself looking forward to the double dates, not just because of Draco either. He enjoyed having a night out with Daphne, giving his pretty wife an opportunity to get dressed up in pretty robes and tall heels. She looked so beautiful that it made his heart ache. But, beyond skin deep, when she laughed, Daphne was effervescent as champagne, intoxicating. When she was with Astoria, some of her untouchable facade seemed to crumble, and she was down to earth, relatable, and full of laughter.

For their dinner tonight though, the fashionable foursome had eschewed the trendy restaurants of Diagon Alley, opting instead to stay in for the evening at Nott Manor. They hadn't met up since Theo and Daphne had gone on their trip, and the sisters decided that they wanted to be able to stay up as long as they wanted. Wearing a more casual set of pale blue robes, Daphne had spent the day making sure that everything was just perfect.

Theo snuck up on her when she was checking the dining room table to make sure that everything was in place before their guests got there. Wrapping his arm around her middle, Theo pressed a kiss to Daphne's temple. "The kitchen smells amazing. What are we having?" he asked.

Daphne relaxed into his arms, making Theo realize just how forward he had been with his affection. He had grown so comfortable around her while they were in Italy, but perhaps he had been a bit too forward for her now that they were back to reality. He let her go.

"I thought we'd just have a roast," Daphne said, before turning to look at him. She wore the hint of a frown on her face, and Theo worried that he might have overstepped by hugging her like that. "Since Draco seems to be such a picky eater. I don't know how Astoria puts up with him."

"Maybe she knows his secret," Theo said with a grin, knowing that his friend really was a picky eater. He thought it was a bit silly that a grown man should have so many things that he couldn't eat, but Draco had always had strong opinions. "He has a terrible sweet tooth."

"Who doesn't know that?" Daphne quipped back. "His mother was always sending him those chocolates. It was ridiculous."

Theo laughed, remembering how much of a mummy's boy Draco had been growing up. "One time, Crabbe broke into his trunk and ate all of the chocolates his mum had sent for Valentine's day," Theo said with a grin, enjoying sharing this little moment with Daphne. "You should have seen his expression when he came back and saw Crabbe's face covered in chocolate, sticky fingerprints all over his trunk. Blaise and I had to separate them to stop Draco from murdering him."

Daphne joined in on his laughter. "Oh, I had no idea," she said, before leaning into him, pressing her hands to his waist, looking up at him with mirth in her beautiful sea green eyes. "Draco is lucky he has such good friends like you and Blaise."

Staring down at his wife her that mischievous little smile that she wore, Theo could feel his heart pounding away at his ribcage, reminding him of the flutters he used to feel for her when she was at Hogwarts. He was overwhelmed by her closeness, and he wanted to do nothing more than to lean down and press a kiss to her little nose, covered in freckles. He longed to pull her close and hold her against him, but he wasn't sure what she would think of it. Sometimes he thought that she just might feel something more for him, but she always sent such mixed signals. He wasn't sure that he wanted to go out on a limb and be hurt by her again.

He could be content with just enjoying their new friendship, if he forced himself to be. Really, he was just pleased that his marriage wasn't a complete disaster. Yet. He supposed that there was still time for him to fuck it up.

A clearing voice caught their attention, breaking the fragile moment between them, and in an instant, Daphne was letting him go, turning to face the intruder. "We were wondering where you'd run off to," Astoria said with a raised eyebrow, a smirk on her face. "Usually you are waiting for us in the parlor."

Daphne crossed the dining room to wrap her little sister in tight hug. "We were just making sure that everything was set for dinner tonight," she explained. Theo supposed that it wasn't a complete lie. "Then we got distracted talking about how much of a picky eater Draco is."

"Hey! I will have you know that Draco is perfect just the way he is," Astoria countered in a way that indicated she wasn't joking _entirely_. "He's just got a...refined palate."

His wife shook her head in disbelief, a smile on her face. "I missed you Tori," she said honestly. "It's been too long."

"Agreed," Astoria answered, guiding the pair towards the table. "I can't wait to hear _everything_ about your trip," she said, sounding far too perceptive for her own good.

Theo couldn't listen to Daphne's answer though because Draco was walking in the room, and reaching his hand out for a shake, distracting him immediately with talk from the Ministry. Theo was left wondering what could have come out of the moment between him and Daphne.

...

Try as she might, Daphne had not been able to get the itch to find a job out of her system, no matter how much her grandmama despaired when they discussed it over tea. Valentina Selwyn was positive that the Notts were destitute and that Daphne had squandered all of the money with her decorating, a fact that she frequently brought up to Daphne's father.

She wasn't entirely sure that she wasn't just trying to get an invite to the Nott vault at Gringotts.

Daphne knew that she had been a very vain and selfish girl when she was at Hogwarts, and she wanted to...do something for other people instead of just thinking about herself all the time. It only seemed right to try to give back a little bit, especially considering how much she had. She and Astoria had spent a lot of time during the year the Death Eaters were in charge at Hogwarts talking about how guilty they felt about their family's neutrality. It felt wrong to know that they had done nothing to aid in the downfall of You-Know-Who, despite knowing that what he was doing was wrong. Even if she had never told anyone, she felt like she needed to atone for that wrong, and finding a job or a way to volunteer seemed like the right thing to do.

The only problem was that she had no idea where to start.

However, Daphne was not the only one out of her friends who had decided to enter the workforce. Millicent had been working for the Daily Prophet, covering Quidditch matches, a job that she had secured about a year prior. Millie was only too happy to offer council to Daphne, though she remained skeptical.

"So, you want to find a job?" Millie asked, sipping a vodka lemonade at a fashionable rooftop bar in central wizarding London. She sounded utterly skeptical, and Daphne tried not to feel too offended by her tone, knowing that this must seem like an out of place request from a girl who spent more time reading fashion magazines that doing homework during school.

"Yes, I am a bit bored at home," Daphne answered, playing with the ends of her long blonde hair. It was really getting _too_ long, and she thought she might need to schedule a haircut. "And I was thinking that this might be a good way to...give back a little bit. I just don't know where to start."

"Daphne," Millie said with a disappointed tone. "Does this have something to do with living up to Granger again? I told you that you shouldn't compare yourself to her."

"What? No," Daphne asked, feeling slightly offended that her friend would think she'd still be worrying so much about what Granger was up to. Worse, she _did_ care about what Granger was up to, but it wasn't her _motive_ for wanting a job. "I just wanted to...I don't know, I just need something to do. I can't sit at home by myself all day or I will drive myself spare."

Millie still didn't look completely convinced. "Because, you know I think you should just _tell_ Theo how you feel...that you love him," she said without any sympathy in her voice for Daphne's plight. "He's your husband already, it's not like he's going anywhere. And besides, Theo should be jumping for bloody joy being married to _you_. He'd probably still be a lonely virgin if it wasn't for your parents' interference."

"Millie! Do not talk about Theo like that. He's really...come into his own after school, and he has lots of friends outside of me," she scolded, not liking the way that the other witch - one of her oldest friends or not - was talking about her husband. Theo was lovely, considerate and sweet.

"You are just proving my point," Millie whined. "Just tell the bloke you are in love with him already!"

"Can we please talk about my job prospects?" Daphne insisted, wanting to get things back on track. "I have no idea where to start, and since you are one of the only one of my friends who has had moderate success, I figured you would have some insight. But if you are just here to gossip about my marriage, I will leave."

"No need to get your knickers in a bunch," Millie countered with a roll of her eyes. "Well, do you need a salary or would you be fine just volunteering your hours?"

Daphne considered it. She didn't really care if she was paid or not, and perhaps volunteering would do more good. "I don't need a salary. We aren't destitute."

"Well, when I was following up on a lead at St. Mungo's - Davis has got himself laid up there after taking a bludger to the head - I saw that they were looking for people to come in and read to some of the sick patients. You could always start there, see if that would work," Millie offered, sounding hopeful.

The blonde pondered the thought. It seemed a bit daunting to be responsible for entertaining sick patients. "Do you really think I could do that?" she asked, feeling uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

Millie rolled her eyes at her. "Of course, you'd do wonderfully. Your voice is quite pleasing and I am sure anyone would be happy to listen to you talk," the other witch snarked. "Now can we stop with this pity party that you are insistent on throwing for yourself. It's not becoming of a Nott."

Daphne conceded that point - Theo was really quite good at suffering in silence if something was bothering him. "Fine, what do you want to talk about?"

"I thought that you'd never ask," Millie answered with a shark-like grin. "Did you hear about Pansy? Salazar knows that she has gone completely 'round the twist over Weasley, but apparently she got into a huge blow out with Weasley's mum over the weekend. Now she won't stop crying over how the Weasleys will never accept her as Weasley's wife!"

"Are they even engaged?" Daphne asked, as that would be news to her.

"No!" Millicent told her with a fond smile, before launching into more detail about how silly their friend was being. She'd really grown quite attached to the redhead, something that Daphne couldn't begin to understand, but she was happy if Pansy was happy.

...

While Theo's birthday had passed with little fanfare during their first year of marriage - he went out for drinks with Draco and Blaise - Daphne decided that she wanted to do something special for his birthday. Talking with Millicent had reminded her of just how thoughtful Theo had been, always finding some present for her that was so _perfect_ it made her want to scream.

She had thought of the perfect present for him and had been working for weeks to get everything ready, including roping the house elves into helping her keep it a secret.

It was a chilly November day on Theo's birthday, but Daphne was only too excited to pull herself from the warmth of their bed to go retrieve the gift, imagining the look on his face when she returned, present in her arms. She tiptoed down through the halls barefoot, robe wrapped tightly around her, while she went to her salon where the present was waiting.

As soon as she entered the room, the tiny white and brown crup puppy began whining in his crate, excited to see her, it's little forked tail swishing back and forth wildly. Laughing, Daphne waved her wand to conjure a huge blue bow - the color of Theo's eyes - to tie around her present's neck. "Aren't you just perfect?" she whispered to the little crup before picking him up in her arms. "Let's go introduce you to Theo, shall we?"

The unruly little handful was eager to lap kisses at Daphne's neck the whole walk back to their bedroom, though he had stopped whining, unwilling to ruin the present early. When they got back, Daphne took a moment to stare at her still sleeping husband, her heart squeezing in affection. His hair was completely mused from sleep, his head resting on the pillow. He looked completely relaxed and at peace in that moment, retaining some of the boyish qualities that he'd had while he was at school, though there was no denying he was a man grown now at twenty-one.

Climbing back onto the bed, Daphne let the struggling crup out of her arms, watching him make a beeline towards the unaware Theo. He immediately began slobbering big puppy kisses all over his face. Theo woke up looking confused and putting his hands up to block the intruder, recognizing Daphne's delighted trilling laughter. With his hands on the furry little body, his eyes adjusted to the morning sunlight streaming in the room and he realized what it was in his hand.

Smirking from her spot kneeling on the bed, Daphne felt her heart stuttering away in her throat, her laughter falling away at the sight that he saw. "Happy Birthday, Theo," she said sweetly.

He returned the sentiment with a lopsided smile, surprise in his eye. "Thank you," he answered, holding the crup close to his chest. "He's adorable."

Daphne _loved_ Theo. The realization struck her like a lightning bolt, but she knew that the truth must have been simmering under the surface for much longer than that moment. She wasn't sure when exactly it had happened, but there was no denying that it was true. Merlin, she loved him so much that it nearly swept her away with the intensity, seeing him this way.

Part of her wanted to blurt it out and let him know, but the more reasoned side cautioned her to keep it close. She didn't think that she could stand it if he didn't return the feelings, especially since he had every reason to reject her after how she'd behaved when she was at Hogwarts. No, it was better to keep it to herself, where she couldn't be hurt.

Unable to look at him for another minute, she turned her attention back to the little crup who seemed only too happy to have two owners now. He was running back and forth between them in their bed. "What should we call him, Theo?" she asked. "I've been calling him Felix, on account of his golden fur, but I don't think he's too attached to it yet."

She could feel Theo's eyes on her face, but she refused to meet his intense gaze, not trusting that her heart wouldn't beat right out of her chest in that moment. She watched as his long fingers - fingers that she was so fond of holding now - scratched the little crup behind his alert little ears. "After the potion?" he asked, finally, sounding skeptical.

Daphne knew that she'd never been great at potions, but she had thought it was apt. "Yes," she answered. "I know it's a bit silly..."

"No, I don't think it's silly," Theo said in a rush. "I just...it suits him," he agreed finally. Silence stretched between them aside from Felix's content little yips. "Thank you, Daphne. I think this is the first birthday present I've gotten in years. He's perfect."

She now knew that Theo wasn't trying to make her feel bad for him, just that he was being honest. Guilty, she remembered how he'd still given her a present on her birthday, their first year at Hogwarts. It was just a packet of sugar quills, but it was still more than she'd ever given him. "Then I've been remiss," she answered, her voice thick with emotion. Finally she met his eyes. If he read anything into what she was feeling through her gaze, then so be it. "Luckily I will have many years to make it up to you."

It was a promise that she meant to keep.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! I am so glad you guys are pleased with Daphne's progress. She is really makes steps in the right direction. I hope that you enjoy what I've got planned for this chapter. I can't believe we only have a few chapters left! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twelve and be on the lookout for chapter thirteen soon!

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Theo had been lying awake in bed for nearly an hour. He knew that he should just get up already and get ready for work that day. He couldn't spend all morning lazing about, especially not with the way that the goblins demanded punctuality. But, no matter how many arguments he made to himself about how the best option was to pull back the covers and stand under the shower to wake up, he couldn't stop staring at Daphne.

In sleep, she looked like something out of a painting - something that should be up in a museum for all to see and admire, her beauty documented for eternity. Her honey blonde hair was spread out on the pillow, swirling around her bare shoulders, reminding him of how it felt to tangle his fingers in its' length. On her neck was a bright red bruise that he'd left the night before, a sign of his passion. She always healed them when she woke up, but he couldn't deny the thrill that he felt when he saw the little love bites that he left behind.

She had a cute little nose that was still sprinkled with freckles, a souvenir from their trip to Italy that summer, which made her seem young and innocent, even though he knew that she was anything but. Her pink lips were barely parted, but all he could think about was the noises that she made with them - soft signs and muted moans. _Salazar_ , he'd already had her the night before, but he could feel himself responding to the memory all the same, eager need pulsing between his legs.

Unable to stop himself, Theo lifted his hand to run his fingertips across her cheeks, down her nose and over her petal soft lips.

Then, her eyelids were fluttering open, her pupils constricting to points in the morning sunlight before dilating again when they focused on his face. He felt his breath leave his body when she looked at him with those pretty green eyes of hers. With an indulgent grin, Daphne moved like a lazy cat to hook her leg over his, throwing an arm over his chest so that she could cling to him. When her knee came in contact with his hardened cock, her grin turned into something predatory. Cupping his jaw with her hand, Daphne pulled him down for a kiss, slanting her lips across his.

Theo was helpless to stop his groan of satisfaction, returning the kiss with every bit of passion for her that he felt. Daphne deepened the kiss with ease, her tongue moving against his in a familiar dance. Wanting nothing more than to call in sick and stay between the sheets with her all day, it felt far too indolent, especially considering that they had already done the act not even twelve hours prior. With a sigh, he pulled back. "We shouldn't," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. "I've got work."

"Not for another hour and a half," Daphne countered, pressing her breasts against his arm. "Please, Theo," she begged so prettily. "I want to."

Merlin, Theo knew in that moment that it would never be possible to turn down Daphne, especially not when she was looking at him like _that_. He felt all of his counter arguments fly out of his head in a moment, knowing that they were meaningless compared to her. Surging forward, he kissed her again, before rolling her onto her back, settling in between her thighs once again.

If there was only one area that they were well matched, it was in the bedroom. Daphne was an eager and generous lover, just as he was. At first he had thought that it just might be a game for her to see how quickly she could make the notoriously taciturn Theo Nott come undone under her manicured fingers, but she'd come to learn that she truly enjoyed making him feel just as good as she did. Theo had always wanted to make sure that she found the act enjoyable and not just a chore that she was forced to partake in, but he'd grown to crave the feel of her clutching at him, driven breathless and boneless by him and him alone. It made for a very pleasurable relationship.

Daphne wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him more tightly against her, giggling at his reaction. Theo hissed at feeling how wet she already was, still in awe that he could elicit a reaction from her. He groaned as he rocked his hips into hers, moving against her core to drive her wild. He used a hand to cup her breast, his thumb moving back and forth across a taut nipple, making her laughter die in her throat, swallowed up by an indulgent moan. Positioning himself at her entrance, he entered her slowly, before pulling out an repeating the action.

Theo watched her face as he thrust into her again and again, completely mesmerized by the look her face, mouth parted to let out all the little noises she made, her eyebrows drawn together in concentration as she chased the high of orgasm. He wished that he could take his time with her, languishing all morning, but he knew that he didn't have much time. With each thrust of his hips, he pressed against the little button at the top of her sex, making her gasp in time with his movements.

Closing his own eyes, he let himself feel overcome by the sensation of her body squeezing at him, before pressing his head into the crook between her neck and her shoulder, hoping to muffle his own voice joining her. Salazar, he loved the feeling of becoming completely connected to Daphne. It did not take long before she was keening underneath him, signaling that she had reached her own peak, and then he was following behind her. His mind overtaken by pleasant ripples that resonated all the way down to his toes.

He lay on top of her until his heart began to slow down, before pushing up so that he was not crushing her. Daphne pouted when he pulled out of her, not at all pleased to have their post-coital cuddle cut short. Theo felt his heart leap into his heart by the intensity of the moment.

It was a stunning realization to come to, that you loved your wife, Theo decided.

Of course, he was not immune to the intense emotions that their frequent couplings created, feeling like he was emptying a little bit of himself into her every time, but this was the first time that he actually had a name for what he was feeling.

Theo _loved_ Daphne.

Needing to put some space between them, least he just blurt it out to her in that instant, he pressed a kiss to her lips, before heading off towards the bathroom. He did have work to go to, after all. It would be good to go in and have something to keep his mind of the nymph that he'd married before he did something stupid like profess his feelings to her. He'd already been rejected by her once before when he hadn't wanted to be more than friends that had crushed him well enough.

He didn't know if he could do it again now that love was on the line.

...

After her discussion with Millie, Daphne followed up with the suggestion to go to St. Mungo's to work. Perhaps it wasn't as glamorous as the fundraisers that the Malfoys would host, but Daphne was hopeful that it would fulfill her need to directly help people. Narcissa might raise galleons for war orphans, but Daphne highly doubted that she had ever talked to one since the war was over.

Her grandmama was only in more despair once she revealed her choice to her family. At first Valentina had complained to her son, asking how he could possibly let his precious daughter go to work somewhere _so plebeian_ as a hospital. But, Daphne had always been the apple of her father's eye, and she'd been given his stamp of approval. "Daphne is a grown woman who can make her own choices, mother," he'd said during one afternoon tea. "Honestly, I am just so pleased that she's found something she's passionate about."

When that failed, Valentina questioned Theo's sanity. "And your husband knows that you will be working there with all of those _sick people_?" she asked, horror on her face at the thought.

Daphne had to color at that, as she was sure that Theo had no idea what it was that she did. She wasn't even positive if he know that she'd followed through with her desire to get a job in the first place. He hadn't asked her again since she brought it up the first time. "Theo doesn't control my life, grandmother," Daphne answered primly. "He lets me do whatever my heart desires."

 _That_ had shut her grandmama up finally, her head probably filled with pride over her granddaughter's ability to bring a man to his knees.

In the end, it didn't really matter what her family thought. Daphne knew that working with those with magical maladies would be difficult, but she hoped that it would be a worthwhile way to give back to her community, and nothing was going to dissuade her from giving it a try. So she applied.

St. Mungo's was happy for the help, and agreed to take her on as a volunteer. When Millie discussed the position, it had sounded like she was going to be reading to patients, but she quickly discovered that that was not the case. They had her working in a playroom for children with admitted parents, reading _them_ stories.

Most of the children had parents with dragon pox, a nasty disease that had flared up again after the war. Daphne had _fortunately,_ dubious though it sounded, had the disease as a young child when the pox was comparatively mild to what happened when you were an adult that got it. Further, once you had it, it was highly unlikely that you could be infected a second time. It made her a perfect candidate to work in the pox ward with the children.

Working with the children was tiring, but delightful. Daphne was glad to learn that it really did fulfill that desire inside her to give back, knowing that the ailing parents could rest easy that their children were well looked after, and that their spouses could have time to talk to the healers about their condition without worrying about a little child learning too much about what was wrong with their parent. The pox could be quite painful for even an adult to witness.

The children seemed to think that she was some kind of princess or fairy, and after a few days of her coming in, they would flock to her whenever she entered the room, eager to show off the drawing that they had colored or to wiggle the loose tooth that they had. She would read them whatever stories that they requested, until her voice was hoarse, happy to keep their minds busy even for just a little while.

Some of the little girls loved to brush and braid her hair, and Daphne was only too happy to sit on the floor and let her play with her long blonde locks, their tiny fingers creating silly little updos for her. Some of the little boys liked to play dragons and wizards with her, imagining her as a witch that needed to be saved from the evil dragon.

She had hardly been working there for a whole month when one of the other employees who worked there complimented her on her good work. "You are such a natural with them," Arabella said sweetly. "Do you have any children of your own?"

Daphne blushed, before shaking her head. "No, not yet," she answered. If she was honest, she hadn't really thought of it before.

"Well, little Eric hasn't been able to stop talking about how _nice_ Miss Daphne is," Arabella said with a grin. "His mother wanted to talk to you - to thank you for taking such good care of her son while she's been ill. Would you...would you be willing to meet with her?"

Biting her lower lip, Daphne thought it over. She wasn't doing _any_ of this to be thanked or fawned over. It was one thing when the children told her how happy they were to see her, but it was a different matter to be thanked by an adult. She felt...awkward about it, like she didn't know how to accept it. However, she knew better than to deny the request of a sick mother, who probably just wanted to get a look at the witch her little boy couldn't stop talking about. "Sure," she agreed, before getting directions from Arabella.

Despite all of the weeks that she had been there, Daphne had never interacted directly with the patients. She was shocked to see the various stages of suffering from the disease as she walked down the hallway to Eric's mother's room. When she got to the room, she knocked lightly on the door.

Eric's eyes immediately widened when he saw her in the doorway. "Miss Daphne!" he cried eagerly, getting his mother's attention. "My mum is going home today," he said proudly.

Daphne smiled, making eye contact with the healed woman who had put back on her robes, but was waiting for one last check up from the doctor. "So this is Miss Daphne," the woman said with a smile. "I don't know how I am going to compare to you now that I am taking Eric home," she teased, ruffling the boy's hair fondly.

Feeling her heart clench in her chest, Daphne pondered the action. She was going to miss Eric herself, seeing as he'd been there nearly the whole time that she had. But more than that, she realized that she might want the same thing that Eric and his mum had. "Oh, I am sure he will forget all about me as soon as you get home," she said, feeling as though she was intruding on a special moment.

"I don't know about that," Eric's mum answered with a small smile. "Still, I wanted to thank you for all that you've gone for him. It's been such a relief to know that such good people have been able to look after Eric and make him feel a little bit normal while I've been ill. I don't know what I would have done..." she trailed off tears in her eyes.

Daphne swallowed, her own eyes prickling with unshed tears. "It was no trouble at all, really," she said, feeling her heart swell in her chest. It felt so _good_ to know that she had actually helped someone. "Eric was a love, really."

"Thank you," the other witch whispered one more time, before nodding and letting Eric say goodbye to her. No matter how much her grandmama complained, Daphne knew that she was making the right choice.

...

"Let's take a break," Hermione said with a disappointed sigh, when their latest attempt to break the blood curse that was on the trunk at the Fawley property failed once again. "We can go grab lunch in the village and then return with a fresh mind."

Gringotts had been contracted to go through the entirety of the Fawley estate after it was determined that the family was extinct after the war and their fortune had gone to the Ministry. They had slowly worked their way through the contents of their Gringotts vault, which didn't have much of value, but their sweep of the family manor turned up a cache of dark artifacts that would have to be dealt with before the home could be auctioned. Based on how much Gringotts charged, Theo highly doubted that the Ministry would even break even on this little venture, but he knew it was less about making money and more about projecting the image that they were cleaning up the wizarding world.

"Sure," Theo agreed, running his fingers through his hair, feeling frustrated that they couldn't quite figure this trunk out. Normally, he loved getting out of the office to do some field work, but there was something about the Fawley home that had his skin crawling, nervous. "I was getting hungry anyway."

Hermione chattered away as they made the short walk down to the village together. Theo was used to working alone most of the time, but this job had been deemed too large for one wizard to complete. It was nice to have a bit of company for a change, Theo decided. Of course, when he was in the office there was usually at least one person to talk to, but he rarely had that when he was in the field.

The pair of them got sandwiches and drinks from one of the shops before going to sit on a bench to eat. It was a bit nippy as it was still early spring, but it was nothing that a warming charm couldn't solve. The rare bit of sunshine was too good to pass up.

Hermione filled most of the time updating Theo about her wedding plans. She and Krum were _finally_ scheduled to tie the knot in August, and she was obsessed with making sure that everything was _perfect_. Neither her nor Krum fancied having a large wedding in the public eye, so Theo was surprised when he and Daphne had received invites on their limited guest list. Part of him wondered if it was just to keep Pansy company, as she was sure to be Ron's plus one.

"I am a bit worried that Ron will do something to put the spotlight on himself...like propose to Pansy at the reception," she said, worrying away at her lower lip.

Theo snorted in agreement. "Just have Potter remind him about how it's uncouth. He'd listen to him, wouldn't he?" Theo wondered allowed. He was still amazed that Weasley and Pansy were still dating one another, having only gotten together when Pansy met with Potter to apologize for what had happened during the final battle. She and Weasley, who had insisted on attending for Potter's protection, had gotten into a huge shouting match that had somehow devolved into romance.

"How are things going with Daphne?" Hermione asked, curiously. "Are you planning on doing anything for her birthday?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "She got me Felix for my birthday - the first thing that she'd ever gotten me. So, of course, I will have to think of something suitable for her." He'd been agonizing over it since his birthday in November, wanting to get something for Daphne that might hint at what he was feeling for her, even though he wasn't entirely sure he wanted her to know.

Hermione was too perceptive for her own good. "What is it? What's happened?" she asked, her brown eyes narrowing on him.

Theo swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. If there was _anyone_ that he could talk to about this, it was probably Hermione Granger. She wouldn't laugh at him like his friends would, and she certainly wouldn't run off and tell Daphne. And really, it might feel good to say it out loud. Running his hand across his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose, he decided to say fuck it and just tell her. "I-I've recently realized that, well..." he trailed off. "I've realized that I...love Daphne."

A broad smile worked its way across Hermione's face. "Oh, Theo, that's wonderful!" she said, clapping her hands together.

"No, it's not wonderful. It's awful," Theo countered, feeling the hopelessness of the situation creeping back in. All his self-doubt, his insecurities piling up until he felt totally overwhelmed. He had no idea what to do.

"Theo, I hardly think that it's awful that you love your wife," Hermione countered, rolling her eyes at his stubbornness. "It's what most people are after."

"I...don't know what to do," he explained, feeling completely out of his element. His mum had promised that this day would come, but he never in a million years believed that he would feel more than friendship with Daphne. Now he really did have trouble keeping his eyes off of her whenever Daphne was in the room, though he was under no illusions that he'd always liked her.

"Can't you just...tell her?" Hermione offered, sounding utterly perplexed. "She's your wife, Theo. It's not as if she is going to be upset. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out on a limb and tell her how you are feeling. What's the worst that could happen?"

He scoffed, thinking that it was easy for the _Gryffindor_ to say that. Having grown up as a pureblood Slytherin, a nearly pathological need to keep your feelings close to your chest had been instilled in him from a young age. That's not to say that they couldn't be affectionate, or show that they cared in their own ways, but they certainly did not make a point of talking about their feelings. "Daphne and I don't have that kind of relationship," he answered with a frown. "I know that its difficult for you to understand, but Daphne and I both knew that we weren't going to marry for love from a young age. I am sure she would be uncomfortable if I were to...share with her how I am feeling."

"I know that I don't know Daphne very well," Hermione said, concern on her face. "But she just might surprise you if you give her a chance. I see the way that she looks at you, her eyes always searching you out..."

Theo felt his body flood with warmth, remembering the fond way that Daphne looked at him over dinner, a spark of hope growing. "I don't...I can't be crushed again," he told his friend. "I didn't even _like_ her last time, and it hurt badly enough."

"This is why the two of you need to communicate! Does she know that you were upset?" Hermione asked, banishing their trash to the bin. "That was years ago now, and maybe you need to see if she wants to be forgiven for her transgression."

"You forgive far too easily, Hermione," Theo said with the hint of a smirk. "It's the only way that you are still friends with Potter and Weasley."

Despite how much he wanted to, Theo wondered if maybe it was a good time to bring up Warrington again. He couldn't keep holding onto that forever, as he knew it was holding him back. Maybe he and Daphne did need to have a frank discussion after all, uncomfortableness be damned. And if he scared her away with his feelings...well, he'd been alone for nearly his whole life. He was sure he could get used to it again.

...

Daphne used her fork to push the Brussel sprouts on her plate back and forth, not feeling very hungry at all. Try as she might, her thoughts had been utterly consumed with the idea of children ever since she'd seen Eric and his mum interacting. What had started as a wayward thought had soon festered into a desire that she just couldn't deny - she wanted to be a mother. Arabella's continued insistence that she was a natural with the children only served to fan the flames higher.

She had always taken control of the contraception ever since a panicked Theo had approached her about a week after the wedding when he realized that they hadn't taken any sort of precautions, before she told him that she'd been on the potion since her seventh year at Hogwarts. He'd looked utterly relieved until he thought through the reason why she'd felt she needed to start it manifested. Then, he'd clenched his jaw and went off to his office, hating everything that the Death Eaters had put them through while they were at school.

Knowing that Theo had not been interested in becoming a father so quickly after their wedding, Daphne continued to take the Potion regularly. Frankly, she thought it was smart to hold off at that time too. Their relationship had been so frosty and difficult in those early days, she doubted that bringing a child into the house would have improved anything. They didn't need the additional stress.

But now, she was consumed with thoughts about having a child with Theo, the man she loved. What would their child look like? Her blonde locks with Theo's devastating blue eyes? Or perhaps his toffee brown hair with her green eyes? Or perhaps their child would take more after her own father like Astoria had, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Or look like the late Cora Nott. Daphne's memories were a bit fuzzy about Theo's mother, but she remembered that she had been quite pretty.

Part of her just wanted to stop taking the Potion without ever bringing it up to Theo. Perhaps he would think that it was an accident. But, Daphne knew that she could not deceive him like that, not when she'd already needed to rebuild his trust in her once before. She couldn't stand it if he would resent the baby, either.

"What is it?" Theo asked gently, looking up from his own plate, noticing how despondent she looked. "You've been sighing into your mashed potatoes all evening."

Knowing that she had to voice her desires in the relationship, Daphne knew that she couldn't keep this back from him any longer. "You know how I've been helping out at St. Mungo's?" she asked tentatively.

Theo nodded. "Of course. You know that I support you in that...not only are you doing something that you want, but I think it's great that you are giving your time," he said, sounding proud. When she finally told him that she'd accepted a volunteer position, he had happily listened to her tell him what she got up to everyday with the children in the Dragon Pox ward.

"I do love working there. The children are so sweet," Daphne explained, unable to meet his eyes because of how nervous she was feeling. "But it's made me start thinking about...us having children. I know that we were married in part to help continue the Nott line."

He shook his head. "I don't care why my father agreed to the marriage in the first place, Daph," he explained honestly. "I'm not going to pressure you or force you into carrying the next Nott heir."

Daphne bit her lip, touched that Theo was still so concerned about her wants and needs. He'd always taken her opinion into mind, treating her as an equal, unlike so many pureblood husbands would have. "You aren't pressuring me," she assured him, swallowing thickly. "But...don't you ever think about the possibility of having a baby...with me?"

A blush formed on his cheeks, and he gave a shaky nod. "Of course I've thought about it before," he said, working to maintain eye contact with her, despite his obvious embarrassment. "Imagining having a son to take to Quidditch matches or a daughter to chase Felix around the grounds." That sounded lovely, Daphne thought to herself. "But, Daph, I...we will only have children when _you_ are ready. I don't want you to worry or feel obligated."

"I'm ready," she blurted the words out before she could even think about it. "I'm ready now. I want to have a baby." Daphne flushed at the rush of words that she'd just said to him, watching as her husband floundered, trying to come up with something to say. "But I want it to be a joint decision. I want to be sure that you are ready now, too."

Theo's face was transformed by that silly lopsided grin that he wore when he was _truly_ happy, making Daphne feel her heart flutter in response. "I'm ready," he said with a nod.

She returned the grin, feeling truly happy. "Then, I am going to stop taking the potion," she announced, feeling like she could just about burst from happiness. Knowing that she was too excited to eat anything more, she left her napkin next to her plate. Standing from her spot, Daphne walked over to Theo to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Theo."

"I-no need to thank me," he stuttered out, confused but accepting of her affection. "Merlin, we'll have a lot to do to prepare. I don't think the manor has ever been suitable for an infant, not even when I was born. And we will have a lot of things to get before the baby gets here."

"Relax, Theo," she teased. "I'm not even pregnant yet. Luckily, we will know several months in advance and we will be able to prepare," she explained. "It's not as if they are dropped off by the stork."

Theo laughed at that, and Daphne suppressed the urge to bend over and kiss him again. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him this genuinely excited over something. Her mum had always promised that Theo Nott would be a wonderful husband to her, though her father did not share that glowing promise, but Daphne had never believed it. Now, she realized that she'd just been too young to see it. Theo had given her everything that he possibly could and he'd done it without complaint or bother. He was a decent man, with a good heart.

Salazar, she needed to get out of the dining room before she did something silly like tell Theo that she loved him.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am really excited about this chapter, and I hope that you will enjoy it as well. Bit of a cliffhanger, but hopefully it won't be too terrible for you. There are only two chapters left after this one :) You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter thirteen and be on the lookout for chapter fourteen soon!

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In the end, it didn't take nearly as long as she thought it would. Daphne had heard her share of stories growing up of how some pureblood women could struggle for years with infertility and miscarriages. It was one of the reasons so many purebloods only ended up having one or two children. So she'd been prepared for things not to work out _right_ away when she and Theo began trying for a baby, but it seemed that wouldn't be a problem with them.

She fell pregnant by the time her birthday rolled around.

At first, she'd nearly been too frightened to tell Theo what she suspected when she missed her period. It seemed too fragile, too delicate to tell him when it wasn't even official. In the end, the normally proficient had to tell him when her hands were shaking too much to perform the charm herself. Theo practiced the charm several times under her instruction several times before attempting it himself.

The bright glow told them everything that they needed to know.

An intense look had come over his face and he'd cupped her jaw, kissing her tenderly before leading her back to their bed. The way that he looked at her took her breath away and she found her words stolen from her when he worshipped her body, unable to tell him all the feelings that she held for him.

Later in the day, the reality of it all seemed to hit him and his worried behavior quickly became unbearable. They had planned another vacation - though only a week this time - to celebrate their second anniversary. Daphne had nixed the idea of returning to Naples, having pulled instead for the Cote d'Azur instead. Upon learning that she was pregnant, though, he'd wanted to cancel their trip immediately.

"Absolutely not," she said crossly. "I'm pregnant, Theo, not an invalid. There is not one healer alive that will say that I cannot spend my afternoons lazing about in the sun." Her cross tone had convinced him not to push the matter.

However, he did quickly remind her the following day that pregnant witches were not advised to use portkeys, and international portkeys were absolutely out of the question. She was worried then that they really would have to cancel their trip, but the day was saved begrudgingly by Hermione Granger. "Hermione helped me figure out the muggle trains. It will add a day of travel to our trip, but we can still get there."

"You didn't tell her?" Daphne asked, pressing her hand to a yet flat belly, aghast. She wondered if she ought to have told Theo that you generally waited several months before announcing to anyone. If she learned that _Hermione_ was the first person to learn about their pregnancy, she would be utterly furious. What reason would Theo have to tell the bushy haired witch, anyways? "I haven't even told my mother yet."

He gave her a placating smile. "Of course not," he calmed her. "I just told her that I was interested in muggle transportation, since I hadn't seen any of France before. She also told me about these things called aeroplanes... huge metal tubes that fly through the air."

Daphne shook at the thought of willingly flying in something that a _muggle_ had constructed. She barely tolerated broom flight as it was. "Merlin, what's wrong with them?" she asked, crossly. "I'm so glad that I never took muggle studies. I am sure it would have given me a fright nearly every day."

"I don't know," Theo responded with a tinge of admiration in his voice. "I don't envy the muggles, but don't you think it's just a bit amazing that they are able to achieve all of it without any magic?"

She shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what to say. "Well, I suppose a train will be acceptable, even if it's muggle," she agreed, finally. "How different can it be from the Hogwarts Express?" she wondered.

Theo nodded in agreement. "I'll get us tickets," he answered. A beat of silence passed between them. "When are we going to tell people about...your condition?" he asked, the shadow of a grin on his face at his euphemism. Daphne was so fond of reminding him that she wasn't sick whenever he tried to baby her.

She bit her lower lip, hesitantly. "When we get home from our vacation," she said, cautiously. "We can tell friends and family. But I'd rather wait until the end of summer to make a more formal announcement."

He scoffed at that. "Do we really _need_ to make a formal announcement?" he questioned, his annoyance evident on his handsome face.

Daphne bristled at his question. "Yes, my parents will insist on putting a notice in the Daily Prophet," she said firmly. "Besides, this child will ensure that the Nott name lives on for another generation. Surely, you'd be jumping for joy at the prospect?"

"I just don't like putting my business in the paper, for the whole world to see," he argued back. "I'd rather just tell the people that I care about and that's it. Who cares if...Anthony Goldstein reads about it?"

A sinister thought ran across her mind. What if Theo just didn't want to be _associated_ with her? He'd already been annoyed when their marriage announcement had ran, despite it being an open secret at Hogwarts. Had he only begrudgingly married her because he was required to by magical contract, while he secretly resented her? "Are you afraid to be linked up with me in the paper?" she asked, her voice small and uncharacteristically emotional.

Theo's eyebrows nearly shot up to his hairline in surprise. "No!" he reassured her, moving to wrap her in a tight hug, her face pressed into his chest. "I just...I'm not used to people paying attention to me. It feels a bit invasive if I'm honest," he explained.

She nodded, trying to understand her point of view. "Maybe I can convince them to hold off for a birth announcement," she said biting her lip, trying to balance Theo's needs with what her family would want. It seemed to be a good compromise.

It seemed Theo agreed, because he was pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose in thanks.

...

Theo was excited to explore the world with Daphne. Aside from traveling to Italy with her, he hadn't been out of the country, while it seemed like she'd been all over Europe. However, the south of France was one place that the Greengrasses hadn't brought their daughters to. It felt nice to explore someplace new with her. Together.

He found it easy to retreat into himself, nervous and unwilling to push himself out of his comfort zone. Daphne on the other hand was always eager to try something new, pushing ahead with childlike exuberance, _thrilled_ to be there with him. For all her grumbling about the muggle train, she'd been glued to the window with him in their private compartment, happily watching the lavender fields pass by on their way to the Cote d'Azur.

They'd found a little wizarding village just East of Saint-Tropez, with a little villa nestled on the white sand beaches. Daphne was delighted by the palm trees that dotted the shoreline, enjoying them more than the blue water that rolled onto land as waves. "It's strange to think that this is the same water as in Naples," she said, cocking her head to the side. "It looks so much bluer here."

He enjoyed watching her kick off her shoes, walking along the water's edge and letting the water creep up to her ankles with her laughter ringing in his ears.

The young couple spent most of their time on the beach, enjoying the sunshine, letting the rays soak into their skin until they were lightly tanned and freckled. Theo even joined his bikini clad wife for several swims, feeling as though she was too vulnerable while pregnant to do it alone, though he was sure she would hex him if he told her his reasoning.

In the evenings, they would venture into town in search of more substantial food than the charcuterie they fancied during the day. The seafood was fresh and delicious, making Theo long for such cuisine back home. They had even stayed in one night, trying to cook a meal together without any help from a house elf. It was just short of disastrous, to say the least, seeing as neither one of them had the experience to lead the other. Daphne promised that she was going to make more of an effort at home now, thinking that it might be nice to enjoy making something by hand sometime. "How hard can it be?" she asked Theo, sounding thoroughly chagrined with a bit of roux on her face. "I always got at least an E in potions."

While the wizarding village was very tiny, Daphne was happy to accompany him into the muggle village to wander about the streets. It was such a lovely place, with a great view of the sea, Theo wondered what it would be like to grow up some place like this. He dragged her into places with a bit of history, but everything was written in French and neither of them had ever learned that language.

"Just think," he said one afternoon while they were strolling along the promenade arm in arm. "Next year we will have a child with us for our vacation. It's a bit of a tradition now, isn't it?"

Daphne nodded, giving him a shy smile. "Yes, it's definitely a nice tradition. We wouldn't want to leave the little one out of our adventures," she agreed.

"Where should we go next time? Spain perhaps? Or maybe the Balkan coast?" he wondered aloud, knowing that there were many countries on the Mediterranean left to explore. "Or perhaps Egypt? You know, Bill used to work there. I am sure he could give us plenty of suggestions."

She laughed at his exuberance, the sun highlighting the new freckles she was sporting on her nose and cheeks. "Unfortunately, I don't think that the beach will be the best option for a newborn," she said, patting him lightly on the arm. "But that doesn't mean that we can't go somewhere else. My family is very fond of Switzerland and you've never been to the mountains before."

Theo made a noise of agreement. He hadn't seen mountains before, but if he was honest, he didn't think that he'd ever really thought about them either. "Aren't the Alps more of a winter activity?" he asked, imagining some kind of skiing vacation.

"Well, we _could_ always take a vacation in the winter sometime," Daphne said with a grin. "There is no rule that says we may only travel for our anniversary. And, yes, the Alps are nice in the winter, with all that lovely snow, but they are also very lovely in the summer months. There are all sorts of hiking trails."

He wanted to snort at the idea of Daphne doing any sort of hiking. It didn't seem like the kind of thing that his wife would do. "I didn't know that you were interested in nature walks," he said, charitably.

She made a noise of annoyance. "I'll have you know, Theo Nott, that I _quite_ enjoy having a hike. Not every day of course, but I like to be out in nature every now and again," she said primly. "I spend lots of time in the garden at home whenever the weather permits."

Something about hearing Daphne call Nott Manor _home_ was making his heart do silly little flip flops. He wasn't sure that _he'd_ ever even thought of it as home, and especially not since his mother died. But now, he realized, he did see it as a home. He and Daphne had made it a home, together, slowly peeling away at the gloom that clung in all the corners of his life, replacing it with happiness.

"Well, then, we should absolutely go to the Alps," he said, finally. He was excited to be making plans for the future with her. "And I should take you on a full tour of the grounds when we get back to England, if you've just been confining yourself to the garden."

He was excited for what the future held.

...

When they returned from the vacation, they made plans for dinner with Daphne's family to tell them about the baby. She'd had her second appointment with a private healer, and, seeing as everything was progressing normally, they were ready to begin sharing the news.

Theo felt a little bit badly about not having any family of his own to share the happy news with, but he tried not to dwell on it for too long. He wondered if his mum would be proud of him, and his heart ached, wishing that she would be able to be a doting grandmother to his future son or daughter. He wondered if she would be proud of him.

At least telling Daphne's family meant that Draco was one of the first to know. Draco had been Theo's friend the longest and he would do as family.

Ella and Garrett Greengrass were very surprised by the news, but also extremely excited. Daphne's mother smothered her older daughter in a tight hug, tears of joy in her eyes. Her father looked on proudly, while making noises about how his little girl was all grown up now, of what a fine young woman she'd become. Theo watched on, feeling like he was intruding, until Draco was shaking his hand in congratulations and his sister-in-law was wrapping him in a hug, too.

Once their family had been told, they could begin to tell their friends. Daphne's list of people to inform was significantly longer than his. She'd brought around Pansy and Millicent for tea one afternoon, and he could _still_ remember the piercing shriek of joy that Pansy had made. Honestly, you would think that she was the one having the baby.

Draco arranged for cigars with Blaise and Theo told him then. It ended up being a very fun evening, though Theo did end up feeling a _little_ bit bad when he came home slightly drunk off firewhiskey, reeking of smoke, knowing that Daphne couldn't partake in alcohol until after the birth.

He pulled Hermione aside one day at the office to let her know the good news, before told anyone else. She had wrapped him in a hug, before pulling back, eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's wonderful news, Theo," she gushed. "You and Daphne must be so thrilled!"

Theo felt sheepish when he realized that he was thrilled at the prospect of forging his own little family with Daphne. Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, he nodded. "I am. It will be nice to have a little one, and I just know that Daphne will make a great mum," he said. While he was sure many people wouldn't associate her with motherhood, he knew that she truly enjoyed her work at St. Mungo's _and_ how good she was at it. "She's been working a lot with children at St. Mungo's, and...I'm just really proud of her."

Hermione asked a flurry of questions - when she was due, if they knew the gender, had they thought of any names yet - and Theo answered them as best he could. He was quickly realizing just how many supportive people he had in his life. Everyone was so excited for him.

After he arranged for a few weeks off after the birth of his child, he was able to share the news with Bill and Fleur as well. Bill seemed impressed and congratulated him, clapping him on the back so hard that Theo nearly stumbled forward. Fleur was all smiles, as well.

"You simply _must_ bring Daphne over for dinner now, Theodore," she insisted with a grin. "She can meet Victore and I can answer any of the questions that she might have. Of course, she can go to her mother for advice, but sometimes it is nice for her to speak with a woman who has given birth more recently."

"I will," Theo promised. If he was honest, he'd been avoiding any sort of dinner between Daphne and his coworkers, and he wasn't entirely sure why. It was almost as if being at work was a completely separate life, as if the people of Gringotts saw another side of him that Daphne didn't know about. But, he knew that there was no _reason_ for the separation. "I am sure that she would appreciate any advice that you have for her. The nervousness is just beginning to set in."

He thought that Daphne really would like to speak with the beautiful Fleur Weasley. His normally self-confident wife was growing more and more unsure of herself as the reality of it all set in. There was always going to be another person in their life once the baby was born. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it, and now there was no going back. He was certain that one he spoke to Fleur, she would realize that she was just as capable as he knew she was, but she had friends and family to support her if she needed it.

Before he could slip out of the office for the day, Hermione stopped him one last time. "Have you told her yet?" she asked, eyes searching his face for any flicker of emotion.

Theo gave her a sad smile in return, shaking his head to indicate the negative. "I-not yet," he answered. He had thought about telling Daphne he loved her at her birthday, but had instead just given her the pearl strand necklace he'd gotten her, hoping that she could see the gift as a sign of his love. "But I am going to," he promised, wondering when he would actually find the courage to do it.

...

After they had completed their work on the Fawley house, word had gotten around about the skill and proficiency of Gringotts two newest curse breakers. It was inevitable, really. Because they had been hired by the Ministry, all of their work had been public record, and so Theo had the somewhat uncomfortable situation of being somewhat in the spotlight.

When word got around about the job they had done, it had left families and individuals clamoring for them to take care of the assorted dark, cursed artifacts that lingered around after the war. Theo teased Hermione constantly, saying that they probably just wanted a war hero to touch something that they owned, hoping that the Great Hermione Granger would be sent to their house, even if it was just for a few hours.

The goblins were only too happy to capitalize on their new found success, especially considering they had agreed to let Theo take several weeks off for parental leave. He knew that they were going to try to extract as many hours out of him as they could to make up for the time he was taking off when the baby would come.

He was disappointed to note that the people who hired Gringotts were less than happy to see that it was him, Theo Nott, son of Alfred Nott, come to their home to take care of their dark artifacts. While he had fought against the Death Eaters during the final battle, his contributions were unknown to the public at large. Hell, he was sure that even Hermione probably had no idea that he'd gone with his gut and incapacitated his share of Death Eaters himself. Of the joy he'd felt when he realized that his father was actually dead.

He'd been good at keeping a low profile for so long, but being sent out on so many jobs made the Wizarding world suddenly aware that he was still around. Theo was really unused to the attention, but even worse, it seemed that some people were only too happy to tell him just what they thought of him. Most often that meant that he would get an earful about how he was nothing more than pureblood supremacist scum. Theo tried to remind himself that it wasn't true, and bit his tongue to keep from arguing back, knowing that it would do no good. He wasn't going to be able to change their minds.

Most of the time, Hermione was oblivious to the insults that were hurled his way, but anytime that she heard them, she was quick to tell them off. After all, he had a muggleborn for a good friend, didn't he? It was nice to have her support, but at the same time, it always left him feeling a bit like one of her lost causes.

It was business as usual when they went to the home of Justin Finch-Fletchley. He looked utterly thrilled to see Hermione, quickly explaining to her about how he'd been tracing his lineage to try and explain his own muggleborn status. He'd found that he was related to the Bellchants by way of some squib sister and had swooped in to claim their inheritance, seeing as no other heirs had survived. "I wanted it all checked over for dark magic, of course, before I tried to touch anything," he said. "You should check your own family tree, Hermione. Or, I could do it for you."

Theo couldn't conceal the roll of his eyes, having always found the Hufflepuff far too pompous and eager for his own good. Didn't he know that Hermione was very happily involved with Viktor Krum? To his dismay, Finch-Fletchley had caught the tick as well, his lips pulling back into a sneer. "What's it to you Nott?" he asked, puffing his chest out, but not seeming all that intimidating.

He decided to respond. "Just...your statement shows how little about charms you actually retained from school," he explained, letting his disdain bleed into his voice.

The other man stared at him with a hard, dangerous look in his eyes, but he didn't respond to Theo's barb. Instead, he turned back to Hermione, giving her a smile. "Look after him, will you Hermione?" he asked softly. "Listen, from one member of the DA to another, I just worry about what someone like Nott could do if you weren't paying close attention to him," he said, not caring that Theo could hear his every word. "I'm sure _you_ know as well as anyone, all the things that his father got up to during the war. I'm sure he wishes people like you and me would just...fall off the face of the Earth."

Unable to listen to the horrid accusations for another moment, Theo turned away and began to look at the things that littered the Bellchants home, cataloging things that they should check over. He could hear Hermione quietly defending him, promising that Theo was her friend and that she knew he would never do anything like Finch-Fletchley was suggesting. That he was a good man.

He started to work on an oversized trunk, waving his wand to try and detect whatever spells would be on it. Hermione came up to him after a few beats. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

Theo gave her a stiff nod, wondering if he really was okay. He was sick of people deciding what kind of person he was just based on who he'd had the misfortune of drawing for a father. He knew that he shouldn't think much of what Finch-Fletchley thought, knowing that he was little more than a influence hungry leming. But his disdain for the other man was probably what lead Theo to underestimate him. He should have known not to turn his back on a badger. Before he could answer Hermione, he felt a spell hit his back, sending him flying against the trunk.

And then his world went dark.

...

Daphne was reading a story to a captive audience of little children from ages three to seven, all eyes full of wonder and delight as she knew how to do _all_ the voices. Some were even convinced that she _was_ the princess from the story, with her long hair and rosy cheeks.

She knew that something was wrong as soon as the panicked witch popped in the room, whispering something to Arabella. Her stomach sunk like a stone, worrying about all of the children that she was watching over. Had one of their parents taken a turn for the worse? This year's dragon pox seemed worse than usual.

Arabella wore a smile on her face, but there was tension in her eyes, as though she were just trying to put on a brave face so that no one would get upset and start crying. "Children, Miss Daphne needs to get going for the day," she said. "But don't worry, I will keep reading the story to you."

 _Then_ the fear creeped in even further. Daphne couldn't possibly think of why it was that she would need to be leaving. The panicked witch was still waiting by the door, anxiously moving from foot to foot, staring at Daphne with wide eyes. _Merlin_ , had something happened to her father, she wondered? Or maybe Papa Greengrass? Her heart was thudding in her chest at this point, and she stood, feeling like a puppet, walking mechanically towards whatever terrible news the witch would share with her.

She heard Arabella's voice resume the story and a tiny chorus of grumbles and whines that she was leaving. Daphne pressed her hand to cradle her baby bump that still wasn't quite showing yet, hoping that she would have the strength to hear whatever bad news it was.

"Mrs. Nott, you need to come with me to the Spell Damage ward," she said, with a shaky voice. "Your husband has been attacked."

Daphne didn't think that she heard anything else that the other witch said on the whole walk over. All she could think about was Theo and how much she loved him. The thought that anyone would have attacked her sweet, quiet Theo seemed insane to her. He wouldn't hurt anyone, so why would someone do this to him? What would she find when she got to the Spell Damage ward? She wasn't sure that she could raise a baby without him.

She was incredibly grateful that she worked in St. Mungo's already, otherwise she was sure that she would have found the waiting to be unbearable. When she finally got to his room, even the panicked witch couldn't get her to stop from shoving her way into the room, just needing to _know_ that Theo was going to be okay.

A gasp was ripped from her throat the moment that her eyes settled on her husband's form, laying completely still and looking unnaturally pale in his bed. But the thing that shocked him most was seeing Hermione Granger sitting at his bedside, his hand wrapped in hers. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" Daphne snarled, her anger getting out of control immediately.

Of course it was something to do with Hermione _bloody_ Granger. Had her worst fears been confirmed just then? Were they carrying on in some lurid affair under the guise of being coworkers? Daphne's mind conjured all sorts of scenarios were Krum found them out and attacked Theo. She could feel the tears prickling at the edges of her eyes and she knew that she was about to break down crying. How terrible for her to be confronted with the horrible proof in this way.

Granger was on her feet in an instant, her own face drawn and worried. "Oh thank god you are here, Daphne," she said, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I don't really know what happened. We were working with Justin and he said some terrible things about Theo, but I never imagined he would...one minute Theo was looking at a trunk and then...and then he was _convulsing,_ " she blathered on and on, barely keeping a hold on her own tears.

"What?" Daphne asked, feeling confused and off-kilter. She couldn't keep her eyes off of Theo's face, contorted in pain, and she hated that Granger's embrace actually felt comforting.

"I caught him immediately, and I brought Theo right here," Granger explained with a frown. "God, Daphne, I am so sorry. I promise that Harry isn't going to let Justin get away with what he did. I've given them my memories for review already and I am sure they'll be able to sort out a counter curse. Harry will get Justin to cooperate."

Daphne was confused. Granger had been talking about a job and Justin Finch-Fletchley and Potter and investigations. Had she been wrong the whole time about what happened? "So you and Theo aren't...romantically involved?" she heard herself ask the question out loud, but she almost couldn't believe that she was actually saying them. A secret fear that she had kept to herself for so long, not talking about it with anyone, not even Millicent. And the fact that she was voicing it to Hermione Granger herself...

"What?" Granger asked, her question breaking through her stream of consciousness explanations of what had happened to Theo and promises that everything was going to work out. Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, her brown eyes roving over Daphne's face looking for a hint of a joke, but finding none. "Daphne? You think Theo and I were... _together_?" she stuttered out.

Blinking back tears, Daphne nodded furiously, unable to speak the words again. Taking a shuddering breath, she pressed her hands against her stomach once again. "I'm so sorry, I think that I need to sit down," she whispered out, feeling her legs going a bit shaky.

Hermione nodded, helping her to the set that she had just vacated. "Of course," she said, seeming to snap back into battle mode. "Now that you are here, I will go get the Healer so he can explain what's wrong with Theo. And then...then we _have_ to talk."

The idea of talking to Hermione had Daphne nervous, but she was more worried about Theo's condition. She wouldn't be able to think properly until she knew that he was going to be okay.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I really hope that you guys like what I've done with this chapter - lots of discussion finally happens. There is just an epilogue chapter after this one. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter fourteen and be on the lookout for chapter fifteen soon!

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Daphne had felt numb the entire time that the healer was explaining what was going to happen with Theo. They were unsure of what kind of curse had been used against her husband, so their options were limited to stopping the effects that they could recognize and then waiting for the curse to run its course. "We don't know how long that could be. It could take days or months or even years," the healer explained sadly.

She had been crushed to hear that she might never get her husband back. That she might have to bring her - their - unborn child to visit his or her father in St. Mungo's. The happy scenes that they had painted together, of quidditch matches and family trips to the Alps, now seemed so painfully out of reach. She wasn't sure if she could go on without Theo.

Oddly, it was Hermione Granger who helped comfort her in those moments after the healer had left her alone with Theo's unmoving body. "I've contacted your family, so they should be here in a bit," Hermione whispered, giving her hand a squeeze. "I think that I should stay with you until they get here. You shouldn't have to deal with this alone. But, if you'd rather I go, I can."

"No, please don't leave," Daphne begged her, surprised by her desire to have the Gryffindor close. All her adult life, she had been focused on keeping Hermione as far away from her and Theo as possible, secretly worried about the extent of the relationship between the other witch and her husband. "I couldn't stand to be by myself right now. My thoughts are...well, it's very hard not to imagine the worst case scenario right now. I don't want to raise the baby without him." Her voice was barely larger than a whisper, nearly drown out by the desire to cry.

Hermione had rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around Daphne's shoulders slightly awkwardly, as though she weren't used to comforting someone. "That won't - Harry won't let that happen, Daphne, I promise," she said reverently, as though it were a sacred oath. "I won't let that happen. We will get Justin to tell us what he did so that the healers can fix Theo right up. He'll be back to you in no time."

Daphne _wanted_ to believe her so badly, but ever the realist, knew that it was just one of a handful of possibilities.

A few beats of silence passed between the two of them before Hermione made her promise to talk about what Daphne had accused her of. "I think we should...discuss what you said earlier," she said, her expressions clearly read on her face. Hermione was confused and shocked and _uncomfortable_. "About Theo and I being in a relationship."

"It's okay, Granger," Daphne said brusquely, not wanting to admit how she was sure that her husband would prefer to be married to another witch. "It was just a moment of...confusion and surprise."

"It's not okay, Daphne," Hermione insisted, turning to make eye contact with her. "I want you to know that, while Theo has become a very dear friend...he and I have _never_ been romantically involved. I am very much in love with Viktor and Theo is very in love with you."

Daphne swallowed thickly. The words were nearly all her heart ached for, but she just knew that it couldn't be true. He might feel...friendly towards her, but she was positive that she destroyed their chance of ever experiencing romance with one another. She shook her head sadly. "I believe that...that you don't feel that way about Theo," Daphne said, dropping her eyes to her lap. "But, I _know_ that Theo doesn't feel the same way about me. And he used to have _such_ a crush on you while we were at school, and then, working together...it's only natural that his feelings should grow."

Hermione was blushing brightly, perhaps completely unaware of the crush that Theo had harbored for her ever. Daphne felt badly for revealing a secret that wasn't hers to tell. But, perhaps now that Hermione knew, she would be more aware...to not encourage Theo with any false ideas.

"While I can't speak to what his feelings might have been while we were at school, I know that he loves you, Daphne," Hermione said finally. "And I am sure that what he feels for you has eclipsed whatever it was he might have felt for me at school."

Daphne blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. "You were friends with Theo while we are school, right?" she asked. Granger made a little noise of agreement. Making eye contact with the other witch, Daphne tried to convey just how guilty she felt about her next words. "Then he must have told you what I did. About Warrington," she whispered, wishing now more than ever before that she could take it all back.

Granger didn't seem to know what to say. Finally, though, she was nodding your head. "Yes, Theo told me about Warrington, back at school," she revealed finally. "I helped him look into magical contracts so that he could try to dissolve yours. He wanted to be able to give you the freedom to do with your life what you wanted to do. He didn't want to tie you to something you didn't want."

Of course, Daphne had known that he'd tried to dissolve the contract before, but hearing the context somehow made it worse. She'd always assumed that he had done it because he had feelings for someone else, not because he'd _cared_ about her. Salazar, this was just making her feel worse than she ever had about how she had treated him. "I don't deserve him," she said sadly, wiping at a tear that made its way down her cheek. "He's always been looking out for me."

"Yes," Hermione agreed with a smile. "But don't you see...it just shows how much he cares about you. How much he _loves_ you. He was willing to put your feelings first."

"I know that you think he loves me, but he just tolerates me," Daphne insisted. "We are friends now, but...I don't see how he could ever forgive me."

"Daphne! You aren't listening to me!" Hermione practically shouted at her, obviously annoyed with the little pity party that Daphne was intent on throwing for herself. "I _know_ Theo loves you. Merlin, this isn't really my place to say it, but he's told me that he's in love with you. It didn't happen right away, but in the past two years that you've been married, he's fallen in love with you."

Daphne felt her heart beating wildly, hope that they might really have something more between them bubbling up inside of her. "Really?" she asked, her voice sounding impossibly small, like she was worried if she breathed wrong it might shatter the illusion.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "All he could talk about these past few weeks since you got back from France was about how excited he was to start a family with you. Theo loves you Daphne...I just wish that he was able to tell you before all of this happened."

She nodded, feeling as if her heart was being crushed in a vice. Wasn't this the worst thing that could happen? That she should learn how Theo felt about her, only to know that he might never wake up from this curse again? Or was it worse that she had been too cowardly to tell her husband that she loved him, first?

"Thank you, Hermione," she said, wishing that she hadn't been so self-conscious, so quick to assume the worst about the Gryffindor girl. "You have been invaluable with this." While Hermione Granger wasn't a close friend like Millie or Pansy, her sentiment was honest. She knew that none of her friends would have talked to her the way that Granger had, even though she needed to hear it.

"It's no problem," Hermione said, looking flushed. She gave Daphne one last tight squeeze, before standing up. "I think I hear Malfoy headed down the hallway now, so I will leave you to your family. I will go talk to Harry now to see where things are with the criminal side of this. Theo will come back to you. I promise."

As comforting as it sounded, Daphne just didn't know if she could believe that everything would work out.

...

After a week of waiting, Daphne still found herself keeping vigil at Theo's side in St. Mungo's. Despite Hermione's promises, they hadn't been able to get Justin Finch-Fletchley to cooperate. The pompous little bastard had clammed up when he realized that he'd hurt someone with connections in very powerful places. And so Theo sat in his magically induced sleep, waiting for the curse to work it's way through him.

Things weren't completely hopeless, though.

They were working to compel Finch-Fletchley to undergo examination by veritaserum and legilimency if needed to determine what he'd done. It was working its way through the Wizengamot while she waited for any news, any sign that Theo was going to get better. Being that he was attacked while working for Gringotts, the goblins had sprung for the best solicitor they could hire to represent Theo's cause. It was stirring up tensions between the goblin and wizarding community, something that the Wizengamot was keen to tamp down as quickly as possible by giving them what they wanted to keep them quiet.

It was nice to have Draco on their side as well. "Daphne, I will do everything in my power to get Theo back to you," her brother-in-law promised, before wrapping her in a tight hug. It was an uncharacteristic show of emotion from the boy who'd ruled Slytherin while they were at school. "Theo is my best friend, and I won't let Finch-Fletchley get away with this."

Daphne believed him.

While the Malfoy name no longer held the same clout after the war, after Lucius had driven their credibility into the ground, that was not to say that Malfoys didn't know how to work the system. Draco was working tirelessly to get more people on their side, networking and backroom dealing to achieve what he wanted as soon as he wanted. He came by Theo's room every day after the sessions, filling her in on what transpired. He was confident that it was merely a matter of time before they got everything sorted. Then, it would only be a matter of time before Theo was back with him.

She found that less easy to believe.

Each day spent by his side, staring at his lifeless body, made it seem further and further from reach. Even worse, the knowledge that she'd never even revealed her feelings for him, that he might never know how she truly felt, ate away at her.

Daphne was sitting alone with her guilty thoughts at Theo's bedside one afternoon when her father walked into the room. Her family had been by quite frequently, but it had been a long time since she and her father had spent time alone together.

"How are you holding up, sugar drop?" he asked, kissing the top of her head in greeting, before sliding into the seat next to her. "You are looking pale." Gareth Greengrass was a rather average sized man with a stately looking mustache that he'd worn all of her life. With his dark hair and blue eyes, it was clear that Astoria took after him, but Daphne had always held a very special spot in his heart being his first daughter, his first child. To say that he would move heaven and earth for her was an understatement.

"I feel so guilty, daddy," she whispered, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, hoping to stave off _more_ tears. She was certain that she didn't have any left to cry. "I love Theo so much, but I never told him how I felt. And now...now I might not be able to."

"You mustn't think like that, Daphne," her father scolded gently. "We are doing everything we can to bring your young man back to you. Then you can tell him whatever you want. But I am sure that he wouldn't want you to be in here, running yourself ragged, especially not with that little one on the way."

Daphne sniffled and laughed at the sentiment, nodding along with him. "You are right. Theo was always so thoughtful of me...of my feelings," she revealed. Her heart ached in her chest. "I just wished that I'd realized it sooner. Did you know he tried to convince his father to dissolve our contract, because he thought that I would be happier with someone else?"

Her father's eyes widened at that. "I was unaware of that," he said, sounding mildly impressed. "You know, when your mother brought me that damned contract in the first place, I was convinced that it was a terrible idea. She brought me around, with promises that everything was going to work out if I just had a little faith." He reached up and scratched at his jaw thinking of the next words to say. "Then the war started up, and I was so worried that I'd made a horrible mistake, marrying you to someone as terrible as a Nott."

She shook her head, wanting to set the record straight as quickly as possible. "Theo was _never_ like his father," she explained, feeling badly that so many people prejudged him on who his father was. "He protected Astoria and I during our seventh year...the Carrows didn't care for us."

A mixture of embarrassment and rage came over her father's face when he realized the implications of her words. That his neutrality that nearly hurt his daughters, when all he was trying to do was respect him. "He always looked so much like that son of a bitch," he cursed, shaking his head. "It was easy for me to forget who Theo really was - a scared little boy who had just lost his mother. He didn't ask for the contract any more than you did. But still, I worried about the fate that I'd left you to."

"I hated him for a long time," Daphne said, looking at her husband's face, left in a permanent grimace from the curse. "I blamed him for the marriage, that I was never going to have a normal childhood, a normal teenage experience. But he didn't deserve any of that. He's only ever been kind and so thoughtful, and-" she threw herself into her father's arms, letting herself cry into his shoulder. "I love him so much, daddy. I don't think I can live without him."

Her father soothed her, running his fingers through her long blonde hair, like he had when she was a little girl. "Well, then, I suppose we will have to work especially hard to bring him back to you," he said, his voice like a rumble deep in his chest, one that reverberated through Daphne's body. "Everything will work out, sugar drop."

...

Theo's eyes felt like lead weights, but he forced himself to open them anyway. Blinking slowly while his eyes adjusted to the light of the room, he waited for the blurry shapes to take focus so that he could figure out where in the hell he was. The last thing he'd remembered was going to the Bellchant house to do some curse breaking. As the room came into shape, he realized that he was in a hospital bed, the scratchy fabric of the sheets nothing at all like the cozy bedding Daphne preferred in their home. The lights were off, but the room was well illuminated by the sunshine let in by the window. It was early afternoon if he wasn't mistaken.

Turning his head to look outside, he was struck by the beauty of his wife, sitting in a sunbeam, asleep.

Theo almost hated to wake her, seeing the dark circles under her eyes, but he knew that he was unlikely to get answers any other way. "Daphne," he croaked out. Merlin, his mouth felt like it was full of sand, and he longed for a drink of water to rehydrate his parched mouth. Her eyes flickered under her eyelids, but still she did not wake. "Daphne," he repeated.

This time, her lashes fluttered, revealing her achingly beautiful sea green eyes. When she saw him sitting up, her whole face lit up, as if she had never been so happy to see someone before. It made his heart stutter and skip in love for her. "Theo? Theo!" she called, standing up and coming to his side, wrapping her slim arms around him tightly, peppering his face with little kisses.

He was taken aback by the uncharacteristic show of affection, but he loved it all the same. When she pulled back, her eyes were full of tears, and Theo got the first hint that he might have been there - in the hospital - for sometime now. His eyes feel to her stomach, now slightly swollen with their child. "How long have I been here?" he asked, feeling shocked by how much her body had rounded.

"About six weeks," Daphne revealed, her voice warbling, as though she was on the verge of full blown sobs. "Let me get the healer for you."

Before he could stop her, to ask her what happened, she had fled the room. She came back not much longer, healer in tow. The man quickly performed some diagnostic tests on him, before explaining that he had been cursed by none other than Justin Finch-Fletchley. When the curse had finally been revealed, his coworkers had spent day and night coming up with a counter-curse, that had only been applied the night before. "You might be stiff, or feel a bit weak the next week or so, but otherwise you are perfectly healthy, Mister Nott," the healer pronounced happily. "Nothing that a little Pepper-Up Potion can't cure."

He was utterly surprised by the pronouncement and it seemed as if Daphne was too. When the healer left them alone once more, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him, watching him like he was going to disappear. "Don't worry, Daph, I am not going anywhere," he laughed lightly.

"You don't understand, Theo," she admonished him. "Six weeks you've been in a magical sleep. That was six weeks of me worrying...worrying that I would never get to speak to you again, worrying that our child would never know their father, worrying that I would have to live life without you. Six weeks of knowing that I'd never told you-" her breath caught in her throat.

Theo pulled himself to sitting, feeling his heart hammering away in his chest, wondering just what it was that she'd never told him. "Never told me what?" he prodded, unable to keep his eyes off of her now.

She looked up at him suddenly, looking like a rabbit caught in a snare. But then, she relaxed slightly. "To never tell you...how much I love you," she said, all in a rush, like she had been holding it back for so long. A smile began to form on her lips. "I love you, Theo Nott. More than I ever thought possible."

He lifted his fingers to her cheeks, wiping away the tears - _happy_ tears - that had run down her face. Hearing that she loved him was something that he never thought was possible, but he knew she was being sincere. He realized he had no reason to hold back his feelings from her. "I love you too, Daphne," he responded, earnestly, sweetly.

He cupped her jaw in one hand, before pulling her into a kiss, hoping to pour every ounce of himself into that one moment. Daphne returned the kiss with such vigor, such passion, that he wondered how long her confession that been bubbling away under the surface. He groaned when he finally had to pull away from the kiss to come up for air.

"I don't know how you can love me," she answered. "I was so _horrible_ to you at Hogwarts. And I never even once told you how sorry I was to have acted that way."

Theo shook his head, wanting to tell her that it wasn't a problem, even though it still had given him lingering doubts. "That's in the past, Daphne," he said. "We've moved forward."

"No," she insisted, not ready to be let off the hook quite so easily. "It was wrong of me to sneak around with Warrington. And when you found us that day in the corridor, I was glad. I wanted nothing more than to spite you, because I blamed you for our situation. But it wasn't your doing," she said with a bitter laugh. "You know, Warrington told me that I was _wasted_ on you. And, I was so damned pleased with his words - I preened at the idea that I was better, prettier than you."

Theo wasn't sure what to say. Warrington's assertion was something he was sure many people believed, especially while he was at school. He was used to being overlooked and underestimated, written off as the son of a Death Eater. And Daphne was _exceptionally_ pretty, radiant and glowing. She had drawn people in, and there had been more than one occasion that he'd believe he didn't deserve her.

She opened her mouth several times, as though she were trying to find the words. "But the truth is, Theo, that it was _me_ who didn't deserve you," she said finally. "You've always looked out for me, for my feelings. And what did I do? Convince myself that you were having some kind of secret relationship with Hermione Granger. I don't deserve you after how much I've _hurt_ you, Theo. I am so sorry for everything that I've done. I hope, someday, that you could find it in yourself to forgive me."

Grabbing her hand tightly in his, Theo gave it a little squeeze. "I forgive you, Daphne. And you weren't wrong...I did have a crush on Hermione while we were at school, but...once we were married I quickly found myself overwhelmed by how strongly I felt about you," he explained in a rush, hoping that she didn't misconstrue his words. "I used to think that my mother had ruined my life, setting up our marriage contract, but now I see it as a push in the right direction. I love you so damn much."

Daphne laughed at that, the sound bubbling up like she wasn't sure she believed that this _wasn't_ a dream. "I love you, too, Theo," she answered. "I was so scared to tell you, but now, I don't think I will ever get tired of saying it." Pushing his hair back out of his face and pressing a kiss to his forehead, Daphne stood up from the bed. "I am going to see how to get you discharged. I have waited six weeks to bring my husband home. They can't stop me now."

Theo was glad to know he was going home with his wife who loved him. Daphne.

...

After spending so much time in the hospital, watching over him, Theo was not surprised that Daphne did not wish to give birth at St. Mungo's. Even though she had resumed her work in the children's area, she made it clear that she didn't have any desire to spend more time than necessary in the wizarding hospital. Knowing that he would do anything he could to make the mother of his children happy, Theo had arranged for a private healer to come to their house when it was time for the baby to be born.

It had been an easy decision in theory.

Once Daphne's labor had begun in earnest, though, Theo was definitely rethinking his course of action. His poor wife, hair damp with sweat and held back in a plait that her sister had done, seemed to be in such incredible pain. Surely the healers at St. Mungo's would be able to do more for her than this bumbling healer that _he'd_ selected?

His mother-in-law gently reminded him that childbirth was painful no matter where it happened, and that Daphne was not in any danger. Really, it was better for him to ensure that she was as comfortable as possible and that meant being in her own bed. Theo took Ella's words to heart, trying not to let Daphne see how panicked he felt that he was suddenly about to become a father, with a small baby to look after and care for. He began to really worry that he might end up being an awful father, just like his father had been before him, ill suited to a child. He held her hand dutifully, whispering words of encouragement about how well she was doing, only rarely making eye contact with Astoria Malfoy, who looked white as a sheet.

By the time that it was all over and his new baby took it's first breaths, Theo could think of little else besides his relief and elation. "Congratulations, it's a girl!" Ella had cried happily, before passing the child back to her mother and father.

Theo felt as if his heart might explode from the joy he was feeling, seeing the little peanut crying in Daphne's arms, little fists balled at her cheeks. His daughter was the most beautiful thing that he'd ever laid eyes on. Daphne was crying tears of happiness when she looked up at him laughing. "She has your hair," she whispered, using the back of her finger to caress one petal soft cheek.

Afterwards, Ella and Astoria left the room to let Gareth and Draco know about the new arrival, giving the new parents a moment alone with their new baby. "What shall we call her?" Theo asked, his voice thick with emotion. In all the months that they had to prepare for their little one's arrival, names had never come up in their discussion. Rather, they had been busy preparing a nursery and getting the house in a suitable state for a new child.

Daphne looked up at him hopefully. "I was thinking that...I would like to name her after your mother," she said, sounding slightly breathless. His wife was so beautiful, so thoughtful it made his heart ache. He had been through so much pain as a child, losing his mother so young had affected him to that very day. He was certain that he would never fully recover from the pain of her loss. While his fortunes had not improved much at Hogwarts, he knew that he would do it all over again, if it just meant that he would have his little family in the end. "Only if you want to, of course," Daphne babbled on, searching his face for any sense of how exactly he was feeling. "I just mean...she brought us together and I know how much she means to you."

Theo swallowed, nodding softly, realizing that he'd been lost in thought. "I would love that," he answered, thinking that it would be a lovely nod to his mother's memory. "Cora," he said with a tiny grin.

Daphne passed the swaddled baby to him, and Theo pressed her against his chest, cradling her little head in the crook of his arm, terrified that he might do something wrong. "Cora," Daphne repeated, with a grin. "And for a middle name, I was thinking perhaps after my grandmama."

"Cora Valentina," he said, staring down at the settled baby in awe. How was it possible that he had been partially responsible for making someone so pure and perfect? Her eyes were a dark blue and he wondered if they would stay that color - same as his - or if they might change into Daphne's green as she grew older. "I didn't think it was possible to love another person so much."

His wife nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the baby either. "I'm so glad that I found you, Theo Nott," she said quietly. "I just wish that I hadn't been too stubborn to see how wonderful you could be all along."

"We will do it differently with her," he promised. "I love you so much Daphne, but I won't put Cora through the same thing that we went through. She can date, kiss, love, marry whoever she wants." He knew now that his mother had only been trying to make sure that he was well looked after, protected from his father's own ideas, but he would fight to protect Cora from the heartache that he and Daphne had been through.

Daphne nodded in agreement. "Yes, I agree," she answered. "Even though I like to imagine that I would have found you either way, Theo. I wish I hadn't been so stubborn. I almost threw away everything we had."

The truth was, Theo loved Daphne for her complexities. For so long, he'd been sure that he didn't deserve someone like her - as pretty, popular and vivacious as Daphne was. He was just a sad, shy little boy, wishing that she would smile at him. But there was so much more to Daphne than her looks and her popularity. She _was_ stubborn and a bit reckless, but she was also sweet and adventurous. She wasn't the smartest person he knew, but she could always make him laugh. She could hold a grudge and she could hold her emotions close to her chest, but he wouldn't change her for the world because she was his. And by some miracle, she seemed to find him just as irresistible as he found her.

And now, she had given him a daughter, the greatest gift that he never even imagined he'd get.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thank you all so much for reviewing, favoriting and following this fic. I can tell you, there aren't very many of you reading, and I appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. When I started this fic, it was so difficult to get into, but as I went along, everything flowed so much easier. Theo in particular was a revelation, and this iteration of him has a lot of myself in it. Anyway, enough sappiness - I think this epilogue has enough of that. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions. I'll also be posting some of the stuff I have coming up in 2019 soon, so hopefully you will come back :)

Anyway, please let me know what you thought of the story. I hope you enjoy it. And, I hope that you have a happy holiday!

* * *

Theodore Alfred Nott had many happy memories.

When he was a child, he never in his wildest dreams would have guessed that he could find this sort of happiness, especially after his mother had died. To think that snotty little Daphne Greengrass, who once promised that she would hate him forever, was responsible for most of those happy memories, was even more unbelievable.

She had taken to motherhood like a duck to water. Cora was a very sweet baby, who had stolen the hearts of both of her parents the first time she'd opened her little eyes. Now that she was three years old, gaining her own personality, Theo found himself even more in love with his daughter than ever before.

Her hair remained his light brown, though if she ran around enough outside in the summer, it would lighten to a blonder color. Her eyes had darkened from their initial blue and were now the same color as her mother's.

Theo would often be disturbed in his office by his sweet little girl opening the door to his office, sticking her head in to grin up at him. She would run over to him, eager to be picked up, not caring that she was certain to get sticky little fingers all over his robes. With Cora on his knee, she would eagerly regale him with everything she had done that day while he was at work. She had fantastic tales of what she'd done in her imagination and even more stories of teas with mummy and Aunt 'Toria and Grandmama Tina and Ella. He soaked up each and every story that she wanted to share with him.

Then, she would look up at him with those big doe eyes and ask what he did while he was at work. Theo was only too happy to share stories with her in return, telling her about what he'd worked on. It didn't take much to keep her interested, just a couple waves of his wand to simulate the lights of spells, and she would be completely enthralled by what he'd gotten up to.

On a rather ordinary Tuesday, Theo was not surprised to hear the pattering of Cora's little feet down the long hallway to his office, the click clack of Felix following behind after her. "Papa!" she called out when she stuck her little face inside, clambering up into his lap the moment she got to his side. Felix joined them shortly, his forked tongue flicking out to lick at Cora's toes.

He was nearly unable to stop the laughter when he saw the crup's appearance. He was absolutely covered with tinsel, shimmering in Slytherin green and silver. "Hello my love," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "What in Merlin's name did you do to Felix?" he questioned.

"Gave Felix a bath," she said proudly.

He reached down to give one floppy ear a rub and made a noise of approval purely for Cora's benefit. "Oh yes," he said in agreement. "Felix is very soft. You did a good job. And how did he get all covered in tinsel?"

"Mummy and I...mummy made the yule tree," she said, struggling to find the right words.

"Oh?" he questioned. It was nearly Yule, so Daphne had been hard at work decorating the whole manor beautifully, like she always had done. It would be a nice tradition to have Cora help her. "I will have to go look at the Yule Tree before dinner. Will you show me?"

Cora was more than happy to show her father her handiwork. Carrying her all the way to the main parlor, Theo was surprised to see that Daphne was still hanging more tinsel. Felix barked happily, running around his feet, to announce the return of the tiniest Nott. Closing the distance between himself and his wife, Theo pressed a kiss to Daphne's temple. "Cora was just telling me about how she and Felix were helping you. Seems Felix is nearly as decorated as the tree!" he said with a laugh.

Daphne laughed along with him. "Our little princess had her first bought of accidental magic today," she said proudly. "But, unfortunately for Felix, I haven't been able to remove the tinsel yet. I was hoping a certain curse breaker might be able to assist me."

"Hm, I might be able to pencil you in," he said in response.

"Cora, love, please go see Opal to wash your hands before dinner," Daphne instructed to the little girl. "Papa and I will be there in just a few minutes." Once their daughter had toddled away in the direction of their elderly house elf, Felix at her heels, Daphne turned to face him. "I have something to tell you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face to his chest.

She _still_ made his heart pound away in his chest every time he was near to her, even all these years that they had been married. She made him feel like he was falling in love forever. "What is it?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound too much like his breath was being stolen away.

Daphne gave him a shy smile. "I'm pregnant," she said proudly. "I'll be due in the end of summer," she added.

Theo's heart skipped a beat when he heard the words. Of course, he loved Cora dearly, but he was over the moon at the prospect of expanding their tiny family by one more. He hugged Daphne tighter against him, before pulling back so that he could capture her lips in a passionate kiss. "Thank you," he said, letting her see just how excited he truly was. "Oh _Merlin_ , I'm so excited!"

Daphne just laughed at his enthusiasm, grateful to have a partner like Theo in her life.

...

Daphne stared down at the little bundle in her arms and wondered how her heart hadn't just burst from joy yet. She hadn't imagined that their little family could get any more perfect than it already was, but then she and Theo had welcomed their son into the world. "He's perfect," she whispered to her husband, her fingertip grasped by tiny fingers. It was just about the only thing that she could say.

In the months prior to giving birth, she and Theo had spent a lot of time talking over the name for the newest Nott. It hadn't been difficult to come up with a boy's name at first - Gareth, after her father, for the first name, and Theodore for the middle.

But then, she'd found out that Astoria was expecting at the same time as her. It had taken one _very_ delicate discussion with her little sister to determine what she and Draco were planning on naming their little one if they should have a boy, and Daphne hoped that they wouldn't step on any toes. To her joy, Astoria and Draco had chosen the name Scorpius for their son, keeping in the Black family tradition of naming their children after stars or constellations. _And_ , she chosen to give the baby their great-grandfather Hyperion's name for the child's middle name.

And so, Gareth Theodore Nott was welcomed into the world one month after his new cousin, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

"He has my hair," Daphne said proudly, her hand cupping the back of her new baby's small head. While Cora was a very pretty little girl, Daphne was pleased to know that at least one of her children would be blessed with her blond locks. It was a bit vain, she knew, but she was proud of it nonetheless. "But I hope that he will have your eyes," she added.

"My mother's eyes," Theo said with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "It's the only bit of her that I had. I always wondered if she hated me because of how much I looked like my father." The relationship between Theo's mother and father was something that they had always tiptoed around, mostly because it seemed like Theo didn't like talking about it. Really, this was the first time that he had brought it up all on his own. "I always hated how much I looked like him."

Daphne felt a little gasp escape her throat. "Theo, I don't think you look like your father," she said with a frown marring her face. He looked at her like he didn't believe her. "No, it's true. Of course you might take after him, but I have never once thought that you looked _exactly_ like him. You smile, you laugh...you aren't your father, Theo."

While her husband did not look totally convinced, she could see glimmers of hope in his face. "I was worried that I might end up like him. Miserable and mean to everyone," he added.

"Well, you certainly don't need to worry about that, either," Daphne promised, feeling her heart ache to know that Theo had been carrying these worries around for Merlin knows how long. She supposed that it must have been difficult to grow up as a child with only old Mister Nott around for any human interaction. "You aren't mean...and I hope you aren't miserable."

Theo smiled down at the little boy that she held snuggly in her arms. "I will be a better father to him than my father ever was to me," Theo promised.

She wasn't sure _who_ he was making the promise to - baby Gareth, her, or to himself. But, no matter who it was for, she knew that he was already a better father than Alfred ever could have been. "I know you will," she told him, hoping to validate what it was that he was feeling. "You are already an amazing father to Cora. She adores you. I couldn't ask for a better father for my children," she said, honestly. Sometimes she couldn't believe how misguided and stubborn she had been when she was a teenager, certain that marrying Theo Nott would be the death of her social life and happiness. Now, she couldn't imagine life without him by her side.

"Speaking of Cora," Theo said with a grin, before standing up. "I should go get our little princess before she drives Astoria and your mother spare. I am sure that Astoria is overwhelmed enough as it is."

Daphne agreed, knowing that he was probably right. Astoria had been anxious all throughout her pregnancy, utterly convinced that something was going to do horribly wrong. Now that Scorpius was here, she had relaxed a small fraction, but was still very high strung. Daphne had wondered if she had been like that with Cora, but her first pregnancy was too long ago to remember _that_ well. And, she had to deal with her husband being in a magically induced coma for over a month, too, she reminded herself. She had other things to deal with at the same time.

By the time that Theo returned with Cora in tow, Daphne had moved over in the bed so that her little daughter could climb up beside her, propped up in the pillows. Very delicately, she handed over the sleeping baby to her daughter. "This is your new brother, Gareth," Daphne told the four year old with a smile. "You have to be gentle with him."

"Like grandpa?" Cora asked, looking up at her mother with wide green eyes.

"Yes, just like grandpa," she told her, feeling her heart swell with love at the sight of the two of them together.

Cora stared reverently at the baby. "Okay, little Gareth," she said, her face solemn and serious. "I will be gentle with you," she promised, even though Gareth was unable to respond to her.

When Daphne looked up at Theo, he looked like he was barely able to stop from laughing at how earnest Cora sounded. She certainly took after her father in that regard. When he regained his composure, he cleared his throat. "I'm just going to get the rest of the family," he said quietly. "Let them know that they can _finally_ meet the baby, or else I will never hear the end of it."

...

"Gareth, if you don't sit still, papa won't be taking you to see Puddlemere next weekend," Daphne scolded her four year old son, who seemed intent on jumping around and irritating all the other parents who had gathered to watch the ballet recital. "It's your sister's big day, and we don't want to ruin it for her."

The muggle sitting in front of them turned around and peered at them. "Puddlemere? What kind of queer little county team is that?" she asked, sounding quite rude.

Theo, ever the calm one, answered the muggle before his wife could say something snide back to her. "Just what you said, a county team," he countered with a fake smile. He knew that the muggle thought they were discussing football, so he didn't try to explain that Puddlemere United were essentially the best Quidditch team in the league.

"Why don't you support a proper football club?" she asked, haughty chin pointed up in the air. "Like Chelsea."

Gareth looked like he was ready to explain to the muggle just how proper Puddlemere really was, seeing is they were his favorite Quidditch team of _all time_. Instead, Daphne grabbed him and set him in his chair so that he would sit down. "Don't talk to strangers, Gareth," she cut him off astutely, only to glare at the other woman. "Or no match next weekend."

The threat got their middle child to be quiet. The thought of not getting to go a Quidditch match with his father, cousin and uncle was almost too much to bare. He crossed his little arms against his chest and tried desperately not to move a muscle.

The muggle did not do as well at keeping quiet. Instead, he grumbled to his own muggle wife about how disrespectful people were, as though he didn't start an argument about football at a children's ballet recital. Theo gave Daphne a fond squeeze, hoping to get her to stop from saying anything else to him. While he knew that she didn't think muggles were inferior, she wasn't shy about complaining about how _nosy_ they tended to be.

He would have to remind her how much she enjoyed all the muggle fashion. Coming into the muggle world for Cora's dance lessons had become an elaborate dressing up game for her, one that she was not afraid to admit she enjoyed, especially not after Fleur and Hermione had taken her and Pansy out shopping.

It had been an unlikely partnership, but a necessary one. After the ever cool Victoire Delacour had signed up for ballet lessons, Cora had begged and begged until she'd been allowed to take the class as well. This year, Hermione's daughter, Nina Krum, and Pansy's daughter, Rose Weasley, had joined the class as well. It was an odd little grouping of children but it made it easier for them to go into the muggle world together.

This year, the trope was putting on the Nutcracker, a classic even in the Wizarding world. Nina and Rose were each playing little snowflakes. Cora had been selected to play a flower and had been wearing her costume around the house for approximately two weeks now under the guise of practicing for her routine. Victoire was very put out to not have been asked to be the Sugar Plum Fairy, but she did get to have her own solo during the divertissements.

"We're back," Pansy called out, announcing her return with Theo and Daphne's younger son in her arms. "Sir Tristan and I just had a look at the ladies in their costumes and they look amazing."

"Oh, Pansy, please," Daphne begged. "I've asked you not to call him that." Ever since Pansy had put two and two together that their sons shared names with Knights of King's Arthur's court, she had been certain to mention it at every chance, and Gareth lapped it up. Besides, Daphne couldn't help that her family could claim to be direct descendants from the famed knights.

Theo just laughed. "Alright, hand the little knight to me," he said with a grin, reaching out for his son who was peacefully sleeping in the other witch's arms. Once Tristan was safe in his arms, he looked down at the sleeping boy. Unlike Gareth, Tristan had been born with dark hair. Now, a year on, it wasn't showing any signs of getting blonder. It seemed that he might end up looking the most like a Greengrass out of all of their children.

Daphne leaned over Gareth's head to get a look at her youngest child, he baby. "What do you think he is dreaming of?" she asked with a happy sigh.

"Probably of fetching a fair maiden to wed his King," Theo teased back, knowing that their baby's dreams were nowhere near as complex as all that. If anything, he was probably just dreaming of getting his grubby little fingers on a biscuit.

"Oh, not you, too!" Daphne groaned, pressing a hand to her face.

Theo leaned over to press a kiss to her temple. "It's just a tease," he promised. "We won't have to worry about fair maidens for another...ten years at a minimum."

Hogwarts seemed so far away for Tristan, only just born. But, it was odd to think that his little princess Cora would be heading to the magical school in less than three years. He wasn't sure if he was ready to let her go. It didn't seem that long ago that he was headed off there, eager to put some needed distance between himself and his father. At least he could be certain that Cora's time there would not be marred with the same kind of sadness that he had faced while he was in school.

Before he could dwell on that thought too much, the small orchestra was beginning to play and the lights were coming up, signaling the beginning of the much anticipated ballet.

...

Pressing a kiss to Cora's forehead, Daphne couldn't believe her daughter was already off to her first year at Hogwarts. It seemed like only yesterday that her sweet girl was in her arms for the first time. Now, more than eleven years on, Cora was eager and excited to make her mark in the world, just like she had been when she was a girl.

With her long, toffee colored hair, it was easy to see that Cora took after her father in looks, but she was more like him in personality. She was quiet when you first met her, but once she got to know you better, she would blossom into a fun, sweet child. Daphne just hoped that she would be able to make friends easily once she got to school, and wouldn't retreat too much into herself. At least she would have Victoire Weasley to help guide her along if anything went wrong, even if Daphne thought it was unlikely that Cora would end up in the same house with the Gryffindor girl.

"Be sure to write us once you get settled in," Daphne begged her eldest child, unsure of how she was going to get through the next four months without her. "We can't wait to hear which house you end up in."

"What if I don't end up in Slytherin?" she asked, looking somewhat panicked.

It was then that Theo swooped in - papa always got to save the day where Cora was concerned. He pressed his hands to her shoulders and bent down so that he could look her in the eyes. "Hey, the hat will place you where you will do best," he promised, hoping to alleviate some of her worry. "And, if it's not Slytherin than that's okay."

"But all of you were in Slytherin - you and mum, and Aunt Astoria and Uncle Draco...and Grandma and Grandpa," she rattled off nearly their whole pedigree. "I don't want to be the odd one out."

A crooked smile came back on his face. "My darling girl," he said softly. "You don't need to be a Slytherin to be in this family. You already are. And we will love and support you no matter where you end up. Hogwarts is about forging your own path, making your own decisions. Don't let this worry you. Everything will be fine."

"Okay," Cora said, though she didn't look wholly convinced. Still, she tried to put on a confident face.

"Come say goodbye to your brothers," Daphne said, blinking back tears of how proud she was for her girl. Daphne took her youngest daughter, Melia, from Gareth's arms, before watching the two brothers hug their older sister goodbye. Gareth was shooting up like a weed and was probably going to be as tall as his father one day. His hair was still as blond as the day he was born, and he was certain to be a good looking child. Tristan, now age four, had kept his dark brown hair and Theo's blue eyes.

The train whistle blew and Daphne knew that they could put Cora's departure off no longer. Watching her head off to the new chapter in her life made Daphne sad to let her go, but so proud of the young woman she was going to become and excited to see what her daughter made of her life. Once the Hogwarts Express had pulled out the station, she turned to face her two boys. "Should we all head home and make some biscuits together?" she asked, having enjoyed picking up cooking a few things, even though she left the majority of the work to their house elf. "It will help keep me busy until we get our letter from Cora!"

The boys were excited enough and rushed head of their parents, with Gareth keeping a hold of Tristan's hand. "She will be alright," Theo said, sensing the concerned way that she was feeling. "More than alright. She will be great."

"I know," Daphne responded, knowing that there was nothing else to do now except to let Cora spread her wings. She snuggled her infant daughter closer to her chest. "But at least I still get to keep you, my sweet baby Melia for many more years before I have to relinquish you to Hogwarts," she cooed. Melia was a pretty baby, who took the most after her. She didn't understand what he mother said yet, but she smiled and laughed all the same.

"You know," Theo said, with a teasing lilt to his voice. "It's not as if we can just keep having children every time we have to send one off to Hogwarts."

Daphne rolled her eyes at him, knowing that he thought he was so funny. "Of course not," she agreed. They had spoken after Melia was born and decided that they were done having children. Four was quite a handful, especially when they had such differing personalities. "Besides," she smirked up at Theo, knowing that she would be able to scare him a bit. "By the time that Melia goes to school, Cora might be giving us grandchildren."

She laughed in utter delight at the horrified face that he made. It was over ten years off in the future, but he was still quite protective of his daughter, especially after the suggestion that she might one day leave them and get married and start a family of her own. "Don't worry, Theo," Daphne added, wanting to give her husband a bit of a break. "That won't be for many, many years yet. She will still be out little girl for a while longer."

That seemed to do the trick and Theo was nodding in agreement. By the time that the trio reached the boys, they were nearly buzzing with excitement at the prospect of biscuits. The family apparated home, determined to spend the day with one another, if it would help ease the knowledge that they had one less Nott under their roof.

...

Theo had retired from curse breaking once Gareth had gone to school. The profession always carried a risk of danger, and he just found that he wasn't up for it any longer. Daphne had rejoiced that day, bringing out some champagne to toast his "retirement." But, she hadn't been able to pull him away from working completely. He would still consult with Gringotts on occasion.

He had been coming home from such a consult when he walked by his oldest daughter's door and heard the familiar, brassy melancholy of his mum's old records coming from inside. Pausing, he peeked in the open crack, seeing Cora looking very upset sitting on her bed, with her legs pulled up to her chest, watching the rain pour down outside. The site made his heart stutter, needing to get to the bottom of what was bothering her.

"Princess," he alerted her to his presence, stepping inside the room, crossing the room so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?"

Cora gave him a smile while she wiped furiously at the tears on her cheeks. "You haven't called me princess in years, papa."

Theo was too smart to be confused by her trying to change the subject. "Come on, Cora, tell me what's on your mind," he said, giving her knee an affectionate squeeze. "It must be something if you are in here listening to this."

"It's just boy trouble," she said with a frown. Cora was due to return to Hogwarts for her seventh year at the end of summer, where she was a Ravenclaw. Gareth, due to start his third year, had been over the moon to be sorted into Slytherin with his cousin, Scorpius. "You see, there is this boy who I really like, but...I don't think he thinks much of me at all. Or, maybe he just thinks of me as a friend."

"Who is he?" Theo demanded, surprised by how gruff his voice sounded. Of course, Cora had inherited her mother's good looks, but it was no secret that she took more after him in personality. She was quiet and sweet, prone to periods of being alone, and the thought that she was pining after someone who didn't think of her the same way hit close to home.

Cora's cheeks turned bright red while she tried to decide if she was going to tell her father about who she had a crush on. "It's Eric Flint," she admitted finally, unable to meet her father's eyes.

Theo's eyebrows rose in surprise when he heard the name. Marcus Flint had never been a good looking bloke, and further, he had always scared the wits right out of him. The thought that someone related to the burly man could make his daughter swoon was a surprise. But, perhaps Eric took after his mother - Katie Bell, if Theo remembered correctly. "Well, if he can't see how special you are, then, it's his loss," he said, knowing how hard it was to be a teenager, body full of hormones and overwhelmed with emotions.

"I'm never going to have a great romance, not like you and mum, or grandma and grandpa," Cora moaned, a fresh round of tears in her eyes.

Theo and Daphne had never really told their children the whole story of their marriage. "You know, there was a time in our lives that your mum couldn't _stand_ me," he revealed, feeling like he was destroying the great story Cora must have come up with. "When we were children, she said that she would _never_ be friends with me."

"So how did you get her to fall in love with you?" Cora asked, her head cocked to one side, obviously not knowing anything but the deeply loving relationship her parents had had her whole life.

"Your mother and I were actually betrothed," Theo told her. "My parents...they never had a good relationship with one another. My mum, who you are named for, was worried about how I would grow up with my father as an influence. So, she arranged for me to marry her best friend's daughter." Theo had never revealed the truth of his own mum's death to the children, thinking that it would be too much for them to deal with. "Your mum and I, we were never really thrilled about the idea...it felt like our choice had been taken away in the matter."

"But, if you were betrothed then...how did you fall in love?" she asked, her voice sounding small and unsure.

Theo rubbed at the back of his neck while he tried to think about what he wanted to say next. "Well, after school we got married. We didn't love each other yet, but we were friends and we grew closer," he explained. "Eventually, we realized how much we had come to love one another."

"So there wasn't a great romance?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"Not exactly," he said, wearing a crooked smile while he thought back on those earliest years of his and Daphne's relationship, all the hurts and all of the mistrust. Maybe it was a great romance, just...their own. "But we still grew to love one another deeply. And even though we might have hurt one another when we were younger, I wouldn't pick another woman alive than your mother. She gave me you, and all your siblings."

Cora no longer seemed like she was going to try. "So, you mean to say that...great romance could grow out of just friendship?" she asked, hope shining in her sea green eyes.

Theo grimaced, realizing that they were still talking about Eric Flint and his _supposed_ friendship. "What I mean to say is...your mother and I didn't want any of you to do through what we did. We wanted you all to be able to find your own way in the world. Someday, you will find your own great romance," he said, gathering his thoughts. "And that might be with a friend. But what is most important to me, is that you are happy."

It took a moment, but it seemed as if his advice eventually sunk in for Cora. He doubted that a few words from her father would be enough to erase an imagined slight from Eric Flint, but he was sure it was enough to cheer her up a bit. "Now, come on, let's go downstairs to see everyone else," he encouraged, standing up from his spot and offering a hand to help Cora up. "You know Melia is obsessed with everything her older sister does."

That made Cora snort, but she stood up nonetheless. Melia was very much a Daphne look alike, though she had his eyes, who wanted to be _just_ like her mum. But, there was an appeal that the cooler, older Cora had that Melia could not deny.

When they got downstairs, the rest of the family was waiting for them. Melia, Tristan and Gareth were playing a game of exploding snap while Daphne looked on. Theo pressed a kiss to Daphne's temple.

"Everything okay?" she asked, seeing the remains of Cora's earlier tears.

"Yes," Theo said, feeling confident. "Just some boy problems, but don't worry, I've got them sorted."

Theodore Alfred Nott had many happy memories and they all had one common thread among them. Love.


End file.
